VIOLENCE reared its ugly head at MDC-T leader Mr Morgan
Tsvangirai’s burial here yesterday, with rowdy party youths threatening to
torch a thatched hut in which the party’s co-vice president Dr Thokozani Khupe
and secretary-general Mr Douglas Mwonzora had sought refuge after being
assaulted.
Quick reaction by the police, who moved in to disperse the
rowdy youths, saved the situation. Police escorted the pair to a nearby primary
school’s grounds from where they then followed the proceedings.
The youths considered Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora as obstacles
to co-vice president Mr Nelson Chamisa’s road to leading the party. This came
as Mr Tsvangirai’s uncle Mr Innocent Zvaipa assaulted a University of Zimbabwe
student at the graveyard in full view of mourners for photographing Mr
Tsvangirai’s mother, Gogo Lydia Tsvangirai.
On arrival at Mr Tsvangirai’s homestead, Dr Khupe and Mr
Mwonzora had to scurry for cover as the youths bayed for their blood in front
of mourners and dignitaries that included ambassadors from Western countries
and Mr Tsvangirai’s close friend and Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Dr Khupe was heckled by youths who protested against her
presence at the burial, when she was boycotting party meetings in Harare. Dr
Khupe has boycotted meetings convened by Adv Chamisa in protest over what she
feels is his unconstitutional rise to power.
She was jeered on her arrival, together with Mr Mwonzora.
They were manhandled before the police intervened and whisked them away to a
hut at Mr Tsvangirai’s homestead. That was when the youths threatened to torch
the hut.
When Dr Khupe eventually joined proceedings at the school
grounds, she wept uncontrollably and had to be comforted by MDC-T national
treasurer Mrs Theresa Makone and the party’s women’s assembly chairperson Mrs
Lynette Karenyi.
Away from Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora plight, Mr Tsvangirai’s
uncle Mr Innocent Zvaipa assaulted a University of Zimbabwe female student at
the graveyard for photographing Mr Tsvangirai’s mother, Gogo Lydia Tsvangirai.
Mr Zvaipa slapped Ms Nyaradzo Mutize three times before he
was restrained by the Tsvangirai family led by Mr Tsvangirai’s brother, Manase.
Ms Mutize was forced to delete all the pictures of Gogo
Tsvangirai that she had captured. She was also detained for close to 40 minutes
under intense interrogation by Mr Tsvangirai’s family members.
Gogo Tsvangirai has made headlines after she threatened to
commit suicide if Adv Chamisa and Ms Elizabeth Macheka attended her son’s
funeral.
There was also an exchange of harsh words between the
Tsvangirai family members led by the deceased’s brother Collin and Adv Chamisa.
The misunderstanding delayed the removal of the coffin from the hearse for over
30 minutes.
Collin was insisting that the coffin be returned to the
homestead to allow traditional rites to be undertaken, while Adv Chamisa felt
proceedings should go ahead in the interest of time, as rains were beginning to
build. Collin and his younger brother Manase stuck to their guns, forcing Adv
Chamisa to make a public apology.
In an interview soon after Mr Tsvangirai’s burial, Manase
expressed concern over the conduct of MDC-T leadership who authorised the
removal of the hearse from their homestead to nearby school grounds without the
family’s knowledge.
“We were preparing the programme on who was going to speak
when we suddenly heard that the hearse had already been removed from our
homestead to Makanda Primary School, the venue of the funeral wake,” he said.
“That had the effect of creating us problems because we had
not performed any cultural rites like informing our in-laws. That omission can
cast a bad spell in the family.”
Responding to the rowdy and unbecoming behaviour of MDC-T
members, Adv Chamisa implored people to be united.
“Let us respect each other,” he said. “We want to be united
and we do not want violence even after gathering.”
The MDC-T supporters failed to respect leaders of other
political parties such Cde Oppah Muchinguri (Zanu-PF national chairman), who
were among dignitaries that came to bury Mr Tsvangirai. They intermittently
interjected Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri when she gave her speech and Adv Chamisa had
to restrain them.
The spectre of violence at Mr Tsvangirai received
widespread condemnation yesterday, with Mr Mwonzora tweeting: “The attack on
@Dr Thoko Khupe by a gang of sponsored and drunken goons at Dr Tsvangirai’s
funeral was outrageous and sadistic. It was tribal, sexist and totally
unacceptable.”
The US Embassy in Harare also condemned the violence in a statement
on twitter.
“The US Gov strongly condemns the violence that occurred
today @ the funeral for Morgan Tsvangirai,” said the embassy. “He stood in
opposition of such violence & there exists no place for these types of
actions today in Zimbabwe, as the country moves forward.”
Activist Mr Dehwa Mavhinga also castigated the acts of
violence and challenged Adv Chamisa to institute investigations and bring the
culprits to book.
He tweeted: “#RIPTsvangirai @nelsonchamisa spoke against
political violence at Tsvangirai funeral, he must go further & ensure those
who harassed & threatened violence against @DouglasMwonzora @ T Khupe are
investigated & punished. No to violence.” Herald
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