Mujuru aide in major surgery

Embattled Joice Mujuru's spokesperson, Gift Nyandoro, who was viciously attacked by his party colleague Jealousy Mawarire, remains hospitalised after undergoing a five-hour knee surgery.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Nyandoro - whose public scuffle with Mawarire is threatening to rip apart the Mujuru-led National People's Party (NPP) - told the Daily News yesterday that he was in "excruciating pain".

" . . . according to the doctors, I suffered what they call Achilles tendon rapture which was a result of the forceful kick on my knee by . . . Mawarire," he said, adding "my leg has since been plastered and I am also advised that they had to put some screws and wire around the kneecap to move it back into place".

Wincing in pain, Nyandoro - a lawyer by profession - vowed that once fully recovered, he will pursue the case with the police.

" . . . Jealousy has not even called or tried to reach out to me," he said.

"The last I saw him was on the day he attacked me. I made a police report but I am not yet aware of the progress . . . however, this has affected my workload in terms of attending to my clients, it has also affected my family, it was an unexpected tragedy," Nyandoro said.

On Thursday last week, Mawarire and Nyandoro exchanged harsh words over differences that include, among other things, the impending NPP national convention and differences on the proposed grand coalition of opposition parties.

Mawarire allegedly threatened to kill Nyandoro before pouncing on him and kicking him in the leg.

"We exchanged words, and I was confused because I did not understand the basis of his rants. As far as I am aware, I am not sure of any party position attacking any opposition leader over the formation of a grand coalition. I was stunned," Nyandoro said, adding that Mawarire "also accused me of trying to make sure that he does not get elected in the party's top six".

He narrated: "Mawarire was charging towards me saying he wanted to shoot me, a light-skinned dreadlocked woman, whom I presumed to be his wife tried to restrain him, he then went to his car, he however, did not take his gun and then returned whereupon he kicked me on the kneecap''.