Embrace of Unity: Zimbabwe’s Current and Former First Ladies Meet at Benny Hinn Crusade, Signalling a New Era

By HRH Princess Eugene Majuru

HARARE, ZIMBABWE – A moment of profound symbolic unity captivated thousands gathered at Ashdown Park in Harare last night, as Zimbabwe’s current First Lady, Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, and former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, publicly embraced at the highly-anticipated Benny Hinn Miracle Crusade.

The event, themed around healing and attended by an estimated hundreds of thousands of people from across Zimbabwe and the Southern African region, transcended its religious focus to become a platform for a powerful political and social gesture. The embrace between the two figures, once on opposite sides of a significant political divide, has been widely hailed as a major step toward national reconciliation and unity.

The Benny Hinn Crusade: Healing and Gospel Tourism
The three-day Benny Hinn Crusade, held at the Miracle Grounds in Ashdown Park, has been a major spiritual and logistical undertaking. Known globally for his Miracle Healing Services, Pastor Benny Hinn’s presence in Harare has drawn massive crowds, affirming Zimbabwe’s growing profile as a destination for “Gospel Tourism.”

The concept of Gospel Tourism, actively promoted by the government, seeks to leverage large religious gatherings to boost local industries such as hospitality, transport, and commerce. The sheer volume of attendees for the crusade, both domestic and international, is expected to inject significant capital into the local economy, showcasing the country’s capacity to host large-scale global events.

The services themselves were characterized by powerful worship, fervent prayer, and the central focus on divine healing, consistent with Hinn’s ministry style. The sight of the current and former First Ladies sharing a moment of goodwill at such an important religious gathering added a layer of historical significance to the proceedings, shifting the narrative from past political rivalries to a shared spiritual and national moment.

A Powerful Call for Collaboration
While the embrace at the crusade offered a moving image of unity, the opportunity for both influential women to collaborate for the betterment of the country remains a potent talking point. With their immense influence and access to resources and national platforms, a concerted effort between the two First Ladies could unlock substantial development potential, particularly for marginalized women and children.

Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, through her Angel of Hope Foundation, is already recognized nationally and internationally as a tireless champion for vulnerable populations. Her initiatives are extensive, covering:

Healthcare: Facilitating free mobile cancer screening (cervical, breast, prostate), launching the National Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccination program, and bringing e-health/telemedicine facilities to rural areas. She is also the country’s Ambassador for Health and Childcare.

Women’s Empowerment: Championing women’s banks, promoting self-help projects like nutrition gardens, livestock rearing (such as the goat-rearing project for traditional leaders’ spouses), and facilitating entrepreneurship.

Social Issues: Actively running country-wide interactive sessions to address and educate adolescents on child abuse, teenage pregnancies, early child marriages, and drug abuse. She also holds workshops for widows and orphans on inheritance and property rights.

Despite these commendable and far-reaching efforts, the sheer scale of socio-economic challenges in Zimbabwe—including high levels of poverty, drug abuse among youth, limited funding for basic education, weak healthcare infrastructure, and widespread unemployment—requires an all-encompassing national response.

The unity shown between Dr. Mnangagwa and Mrs. Mugabe offers a hopeful possibility. If the former First Lady were to lend her influence and networks to augment the existing efforts of the Angel of Hope Foundation, particularly in areas like women’s empowerment, youth development, and resource mobilization, the impact could be exponentially greater.

This potential collaboration could set a significant precedent, demonstrating to the entire nation that unity transcends political allegiance when it comes to addressing the dire social needs of the Zimbabwean people. The embrace at Ashdown Park might be more than just a momentary political truce; it could be the genesis of a powerful, unified front to tackle the deep-seated problems facing the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.