DIVISIONS continued to rock the family of the late national
hero, Dr Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, as several family members, including daughters
Selmor and Sandra, snubbed the “sham” memorial held in Madziva, Mashonaland
Central, yesterday.
There was tension in the run up to the memorial, with a
number of family members saying they had been kept in the dark insofar the
programme of the ceremony was concerned.
Sandra and Selmor, Tuku’s daughters with first wife Melody,
were conspicuous by their absence as well as other important figures like
aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces.
Sekuru Patrick, who was supposed to represent Tuku’s father
since he is the last surviving member, was also a no-show, as was a
representative of Tuku’s mother, who was only identified as Gogo Veli.
Tuku’s nephew, Kabila, as well as his out-of-wedlock son,
Selby — who were spotted by this publication’s reporters in Harare on Friday
night — also stayed away.
Sources close to the family said most family members
decided not to pitch up in protest over the way Daisy, Tuku’s widow, had
handled the memorial.
“The girls could have made it in the morning, but they were
stopped by other family members. The issue is that Daisy did not follow
protocol in informing the relevant people about the memorial.
“She and her children carried the deceased (Tuku)’s items
on their own without informing the family. They slaughtered a cow on Wednesday
without the other family members’ involvement. She wanted them to be passengers
at their son’s, father’s or brother’s funeral. They refused,” said our source.
After the memorial, the family was set to gather and
distribute Dr Mtukudzi’s personal belongings (kugova nhumbi), as is the cultural
norm, but that process hung by a thread last night, with indications that it
could not proceed without all the family representatives as dictated by
tradition. A close family member, who refused to be named, warned that tempers
could flare if Daisy “arrogantly” continued doing things her way.
“Things cannot continue like this. We need to sit and map a
way forward. As we speak, this ceremony is a non-event, it’s a sham,” said the
family member.
A nephew to Dr Mtukudzi, Victor Rukainga, who was a close
friend as well as a confidante of the late national hero, said his uncle would
never rest in peace as long as the family remained divided.
“If you were listening closely, the pastor touched on this
issue. He quoted Tuku’s song in which he sang ‘kana ndefa deedzai vana vangu’,’
said Rukainga.
“We do not know why they did not come, the children as well
as some of Tuku’s sisters and relatives. But this is not the way to handle
things. If there are problems in the family, they should have a round-table and
address the issues,” he added.
The event, which kicked off at 10.25am with the raising of
the national flag at Dr Mtukudzi’s grave by members of the Zimbabwe Republic
Police in honour of the late national hero, ended just after 1pm.
In her speech at the ceremony, Daisy equated herself to an
elephant, saying naysayers were like barking puppies that cannot do anything to
her.
In apparent reference to the divisions, she said what was
happening had always been the case when her husband was alive and so nothing
had changed.
“I will keep quiet. I will not tarnish my husband’s image
after he was honoured by the country as a national hero and mourned by the
whole world,” she said.
Sculptor Dominic Benhura and singer Bob Nyabinde spoke
glowingly about Dr Mtukudzi and offered words of comfort to Daisy and the
family. A representative from the
Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation also comforted the family and
asked them to continue with the work Dr Mtukudzi started, especially at Pakare
Paye Arts Centre in Norton.
Throughout the event, Daisy and her daughter Samantha
remained the closest relatives of Dr Mtukudzi in attendance.
Unlike at the funeral, where thousands thronged the
National Sports Stadium, Tuku’s Norton home and his rural homestead in Madziva,
attendance at the memorial was largely underwhelming.
A handful of cars were parked outside, while a marquee set
up for hundreds had many empty chairs, with the majority of people at the event
being members of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, the late Tuku’s church.
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