HARARE – Former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s mother, Idah Marufu, has died.

Marufu, who was 83, died at a private hospital in Harare on Thursday night.

Grace Mugabe, herself ailing according to former President Robert Mugabe, was in Singapore where she is receiving treatment when she got the news.

She was making frantic efforts to be with her grieving family on Friday, according to a family source.

The former First Lady has previously spoken of how close she was to her mother.