News / National
Revealed:- John Nkomo, Tsvangirai were very close friends
22 Jan 2013 at 05:13hrs | Views
THE late Vice-President John Landa Nkomo's son, Jabulani, yesterday revealed that his father and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai were very close friends whose relationship dated back to the days when Nkomo was Labour minister while Tsvangirai was secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
Addressing mourners during Nkomo's burial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, Jabulani said during his father's stint as Labour minister, he worked very closely with Tsvangirai, who is now the Prime Minister in the coalition government.
Describing his father, Jabulani said: "The John Nkomo we know was loving, caring, hardworking and a unifier.
"You (President Robert Mugabe) appointed him to be Labour minister where ironically he had to deal with one Morgan Tsvangirai, who is here with us as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe."
Jabulani said Tsvangirai used to refer to Nkomo as "Mdala John" during his days as a labour activist and when Nkomo was elevated to the Vice-Presidency, the MDC-T leader attended the celebrations as a close friend more than anything else.
Tsvangirai and his MDC counterpart Welshman Ncube attended the burial alongside foreign dignitaries who included South Africa's Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Tanzanian Vice-President Mohamed Gharib Bilal, Zambian Vice-President Guy Scott, Namibian Prime Minister Hage Geingob and Botswana Vice-President Ponatshego Kegikilwe, among others.
Nkomo died last Thursday at St Anne's Hospital after a long battle with cancer. He was 79.
Addressing mourners during Nkomo's burial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, Jabulani said during his father's stint as Labour minister, he worked very closely with Tsvangirai, who is now the Prime Minister in the coalition government.
Describing his father, Jabulani said: "The John Nkomo we know was loving, caring, hardworking and a unifier.
Jabulani said Tsvangirai used to refer to Nkomo as "Mdala John" during his days as a labour activist and when Nkomo was elevated to the Vice-Presidency, the MDC-T leader attended the celebrations as a close friend more than anything else.
Tsvangirai and his MDC counterpart Welshman Ncube attended the burial alongside foreign dignitaries who included South Africa's Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Tanzanian Vice-President Mohamed Gharib Bilal, Zambian Vice-President Guy Scott, Namibian Prime Minister Hage Geingob and Botswana Vice-President Ponatshego Kegikilwe, among others.
Nkomo died last Thursday at St Anne's Hospital after a long battle with cancer. He was 79.
Source - newsday
