harare spectacular rise fall zimbabwe uncompromising first lady grace mugabe unusual begin office affair early 1990s president robert mugabe eye fell upon one shy young typists would become wife ferociously ambitious politician two decades late contributor downfall 93-year-old husband president mugabe try cling power military take week response purge vice president emmerson mnangagwa 75 liberation war fighter grace swear enemy mnangagwa aid even accuse try poison ice cream dairy farm year deny grace 52 house arrest harare call mnangagwa removal weeks two fight increasingly bitter winner-takes-all contest succeed man lead zimbabwe since independence britain 1980. first time grace wield influence husband appear former vice president joice majuru line succeed mugabe 2014 fire follow public rally grace deride majuru time appear go far purge mnangagwa many comrades irk military intention allow grace youthful generation 40 g40 faction rule zanu-pf take political rein deeply unpopular among much zimbabwean public due allege corruption volatile temper grace liberation credentials military believe require zimbabwean ruler lavish lifestyle earn nickname gucci grace political ambition almost propel presidency evident meet future husband start talk ask life tell south african journalist 2013. know lead somewhere quite shy person shy time marry president mugabe wife sally desperately ill die 1992. grace robert marry 1996 three children dis-grace first grace stay politics good know spend habit include buy mansions south africa rare diamond jewelry rolls-royce limousines playboy sons repeat allegations violence singapore 2009 photographer richard jones say grace fly rage try take picture order bodyguards hold arm back punch repeatedly face grace deny assault august year grace accuse beat young south african model party sons accord gabriella engels grace burst hotel room talk friends whip electric cable bodyguards look grace say act self-defense engels try stab knife report lavish spend explosive temper earn title dis-grace back home zimbabwe economic crisis leave 16 million population mire poverty unemployment zimbabweans also question grace credentials eyebrows raise 2014 gain phd three months thesis change role family never publish stop try reach political summit majuru remove grace become head zanu-pf women league give seat party top table use political platform take mnangagwa ally make push succeed frail husband say want president zimbabwean grace say recent rally grace mugabe office worker want rule zimbabwe