All eyes on 'Gucci Grace'

A divorcee with a son, she says she was initially hesitant about such a relationship. BBC News reports that Mugabe is more than 40 years her senior and his first wife Sally, a Ghanaian who was much loved in Zimbabwe, was terminally ill at the time. Together, they have three children, the last born in 1997. Grace Mugabe has since grown into a powerful businesswoman and sees herself as a philanthropist, founding an orphanage on a farm just outside the capital, Harare, with the help of Chinese funding. But a new road sign reading 'Dr Grace Mugabe Way' - put up near the dusty piece of land near the Zanu-PF headquarters as delegates gathered for the party congress - shows how her ambitions have broadened in the past year. The 49-year-old is believed to have earned her sociology PhD in two months from the University of Zimbabwe. However, the doctorate gives the First Lady gravitas - and within weeks of being capped, campaign material with her new title appeared at rallies around the country as she prepared to take over the leadership of the Zanu-PF women's wing after being nominated for the role in August. Mrs Mugabe evokes strong emotions - her fans applaud her style and forthright nature, her detractors have nicknamed her 'Gucci Grace' and 'DisGrace' because of her alleged appetite for extravagant shopping, the report notes. Full BBC News report