TEMPERS flared at the burial of liberation war fighter
Steben Chiweshe in Muzarabani on Saturday as the newly-installed Mashonaland
Central interim provincial war veterans executive blocked former chairperson
Sam Parirenyatwa from addressing the mourners, further widening the fissures in
the province.
Chiweshe, who succumbed to cancer, was a member of the
“dissolved” provincial war veterans association led by Parirenyatwa and was
granted provincial hero status following a request made by the latter.
Parirenyatwa, who was scheduled to speak at the burial, was
sent on a wild goose chase allegedly by Zanu PF provincial chairperson Kazembe
Kazembe’s faction as the event proceeded only to realise later that he had been
fooled.
A source told NewsDay that Kazembe made sure that
Parirenyatwa was not part of the proceedings
As part of the plot, it is alleged, Zanu PF politburo
member Kenneth Musanhi called for a briefing with Parirenyatwa’s beleaguered
executive in Glendale on the day of the burial, only for the latter to realise
that it was a ruse.
Parirenyatwa later sped to Muzarabani, but was denied the
opportunity to address the mourners by Muzarabani district development
co-ordinator John Chihobo, leading to a commotion which was thwarted by police.
A member of Parirenyatwa’s “fired” executive, Farai
Mataire, confirmed the development. “I can confirm that there was a clash, but
I can’t give further details,” he said.
Parirenyatwa refused to comment on the matter. Kazembe and
Musanhi were not picking calls when sought for comment.
However, Zanu PF provincial spokesperson Alfred Mufunga
accused Parirenyatwa of arriving late for the burial.
“Parirenyatwa came late after the family members had
already spoken and Kazembe spoke as the Minister of Home Affairs. It had
nothing to do with the party,” he said.
Meanwhile, the former provincial war veterans association
members, who spoke to NewsDay on the sidelines of the burial, accused war
veterans politburo secretary Douglas Mahiya of meddling in their affairs.
Mahiya recently presided over the installation of the
interim war veterans league in the province without the consent of provincial
chairpersons and the party’s national commissar Victor Matemadanda
Parirenyatwa’s executive was dissolved in absentia on June 7 and replaced by an
interim committee led by Richard Chirongwe and Luke Mushoore, both linked to
the G40 faction, inviting criticism from other provinces. Newsday
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