I'M HAUNTED BY MDC VIOLENCE : KHUPE

MDC-T deputy president Dr Thokozani Khupe says she is yet to recover from the attempt on her life at the burial of the opposition party’s late leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera two weeks ago.

Appearing in public for the first time since the alleged arson attempt on a building in which she and two other senior party officials hid from a mob of MDC-T youths, Dr Khupe said her larynx was damaged.

She said this after failing to speak at a public lecture on ethnicity and politics in Zimbabwe, organised by a civil society organisation in Bulawayo on Friday. Tsvangirai’s death has plunged the MDC-T into leadership crisis with party organs declaring Advocate Nelson Chamisa the party’s substantive president. Dr Khupe insists she MDC-T acting president.

At the lecture, she asked MDC-T organising secretary Mr Abednego Bhebhe to present on her behalf.

“Unfortunately, I lost my voice as you know I stayed in that hut which was filled with smoke for three hours and my voice box was affected. I cannot speak so I will ask Bhebhe to speak on my behalf,” she said.

Mr Bhebhe slammed the alleged arson attempt. “… something happened in Buhera; it was bad. A lot of people want us to speak out and tell them what happened. uMaKhupe, Lovemore Moyo (national chairman) and Bhebhe will not tell you anything because what happened in reference to the region is not about them, it was never about them, it’s about all of you citizens,” said Mr Bhebhe.

Mr Chamisa’s faction has given the three up to Friday to start performing party duties or risk disciplinary action.

Mr Bhebhe said Dr Khupe would not throw in the towel, likening her to the first wife in polygamous marriage who soldiers on.

“She (could) have long back rejected her husband but she still stays put so that when she decides to leave, children, neighbours and relatives, will know that she was a woman of integrity,” he said.

“Because if you just walk away without explaining yourself to those around you, they will badmouth you, they will say you were sent away because of prostitution yet you won’t be a prostitute.

“They will say you were chased away because of witchcraft yet you were not a witch. “But before you leave you should stand your ground.”

On Mr Chamisa’s elevation, Mr Bhebhe said: “A minority can respect the constitution better than the majority. The majority don’t respect the constitution because they don’t use the constitution but populism.

“Which is what we are seeing happening here. The majority would not want to follow what the constitution says but because they want to use the numerical advantage, they will say let’s make noise in our numbers that becomes law.


“When somebody from the minority speaks constitutionalism, she or he is questioned for raising their voice.” Sunday Mail 

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