MDC-T, MDC Renewal members clash at funeral

Members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai and some belonging to the MDC Renewal Team clashed over the weekend at a funeral in Buhera West, Manicaland province.

Witnesses say members of the two formations clashed at the burial of the mother of MDC Renewal Team director-general Toendepi Shonhe.

The witnesses say all hell broke loose when MDC Renewal Team official, Elton Mangoma, was booed when he started attacking Tsvangirai at the funeral alleging that he is working with Zanu-PF.

This is said not to have gone down well with some MDC-T members present, with one Paul Makuvise, who is also a councillor, interjecting and ordering Mangoma to sit down.

Makuvise says as MDC-T they were not going to fold their arms and let the "visitors" attack their leader in his own back yard.

Tsvangirai comes from Buhera and is related to Shonhe.

Makuvise says it was becoming a norm for the Renewal Team to attack Mr. Tsvangirai.

MDC Renewal Team organising secretary for Manicaland province, Pishai Muchauraya, professed ignorance over the issue.

Muchauraya said, "The funeral was of a member of the Renewal Team so how were we going to give the MDC-T members the opportunity to speak there? Unless they were relatives like Tsvangirai, they could have spoken but Tsvangirai only stayed for 10 minutes before he left."