Is Jonathan Moyo a white man, Tamborinyoka?

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka – who made a career exposing corrupt and lying politicians – is now employed to make politicians look nice, but he is still fondly spoken of among former colleagues who have found him more than helpful in his new role. Tsvangirai yesterday finally agreed that there was a marriage and the question which has to be answered by Luke Tamborinyoka is, Who is fooling who?

But that relationship might be about to change after he made a series of straight-faced denials, starting Monday last week, of reports that Tsvangirai had married his lover, Locadia Tembo, at a private traditional ceremony in Mazowe.

Tamborinyoka's denials of an event told by multiple witnesses has left journalists feeling he is being less than truthful, or failing to meet a "legitimate" public expectation "to know what their leader has done, or what their leader has not done".

Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday finally admitted his marriage to Ms Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo, which his office through Luke Tamborinyoka has been vehemently denying in the last two weeks.

Mr Tsvangirai announced that he is ending the barely three-week-old union, which was reportedly cemented in a traditional ceremony at Ms Tembo's home in Christon Bank.

Mr Tsvangirai's admission left his spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka with egg on the face as he all along had been denying that his boss married Ms Tembo.

Even before Tsvangirai confirmed the union, Tembo's family had confirmed the marriage.

Tamborinyoka denied to all media houses about the marriage which was confirmed by Mr Tsvangirai.

Cue Tamborinyoka:
 
"If you believe that you may as well believe that Jonathan Moyo is a white man. There is no truth in that." [New Zimbabwe.com]
 
"If you can believe that my brother, it's the same as believing that Nelson Mandela is now 12-years-old." [Herald]

"As far as I am concerned, the Prime Minister spent the whole day at his Charter House office. I know of no such event that ever took place today." [NewsDay]

"I know nothing about the issue." [Daily News]

"The official position to the best of my knowledge is that nothing has happened. But if at all the Prime Minister is going to marry, the nation is going to be told at the appropriate time. What I am telling you is the Prime Minister's position." [Voice of America's Studio 7].

Pedzisai Ruhanya, who worked with Tamborinyoka at the Daily News, told some news houses that there was something strangely amiss, but refused to blame his former colleague for the farce.

Ruhanya said: "If we go by Tamborinyoka's insistence that the Prime Minister hasn't married, then essentially that's Tsvangirai telling the nation that he is being blackmailed, he is being railroaded into something he is not ready for," he said from London.

A senior official from Tsvangirai's MDC-T party told New Zimbabwe.com last night that the Prime Minister insists he only engaged Tembo's family to discuss "damages" – payments made to a woman's family when she is impregnated outside wedlock. Reports say she is set to give birth to twins early next year.

Adding further intrigue to the situation, the official said Tsvangirai believes he is NOT in a relationship with Tembo, a wealthy Victoria Falls-born businesswoman.

"What Tamborinyoka is telling journalists is the correct position. He speaks for Tsvangirai. What Tembo's family is telling journalists is their hopes and expectations, nothing more," the official said, requesting not to be named.

It has been widely reported that Tsvangirai paid US$36,000 cash in lobola at the ceremony, but the MDC-T officials says he handed over a sum of money "slightly below US$10,000".