News / National
Violence mars Tsvangirai burial
21 Feb 2018 at 01:41hrs | Views
VIOLENCE reared its ugly head at MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's burial here yesterday, with rowdy party youths threatening to torch a thatched hut in which the party's co-vice president Dr Thokozani Khupe and secretary-general Mr Douglas Mwonzora had sought refuge after being assaulted.
Quick reaction by the police, who moved in to disperse the rowdy youths, saved the situation. Police escorted the pair to a nearby primary school's grounds from where they then followed the proceedings.
The youths considered Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora as obstacles to co-vice president Mr Nelson Chamisa's road to leading the party. This came as Mr Tsvangirai's uncle Mr Innocent Zvaipa assaulted a University of Zimbabwe student at the graveyard in full view of mourners for photographing Mr Tsvangirai's mother, Gogo Lydia Tsvangirai.
On arrival at Mr Tsvangirai's homestead, Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora had to scurry for cover as the youths bayed for their blood in front of mourners and dignitaries that included ambassadors from Western countries and Mr Tsvangirai's close friend and Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Dr Khupe was heckled by youths who protested against her presence at the burial, when she was boycotting party meetings in Harare. Dr Khupe has boycotted meetings convened by Adv Chamisa in protest over what she feels is his unconstitutional rise to power.
She was jeered on her arrival, together with Mr Mwonzora. They were manhandled before the police intervened and whisked them away to a hut at Mr Tsvangirai's homestead. That was when the youths threatened to torch the hut.
When Dr Khupe eventually joined proceedings at the school grounds, she wept uncontrollably and had to be comforted by MDC-T national treasurer Mrs Theresa Makone and the party's women's assembly chairperson Mrs Lynette Karenyi.
Away from Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora plight, Mr Tsvangirai's uncle Mr Innocent Zvaipa assaulted a University of Zimbabwe female student at the graveyard for photographing Mr Tsvangirai's mother, Gogo Lydia Tsvangirai.
Mr Zvaipa slapped Ms Nyaradzo Mutize three times before he was restrained by the Tsvangirai family led by Mr Tsvangirai's brother, Manase.
Ms Mutize was forced to delete all the pictures of Gogo Tsvangirai that she had captured. She was also detained for close to 40 minutes under intense interrogation by Mr Tsvangirai's family members.
Gogo Tsvangirai has made headlines after she threatened to commit suicide if Adv Chamisa and Ms Elizabeth Macheka attended her son's funeral.
There was also an exchange of harsh words between the Tsvangirai family members led by the deceased's brother Collin and Adv Chamisa. The misunderstanding delayed the removal of the coffin from the hearse for over 30 minutes.
Collin was insisting that the coffin be returned to the homestead to allow traditional rites to be undertaken, while Adv Chamisa felt proceedings should go ahead in the interest of time, as rains were beginning to build. Collin and his younger brother Manase stuck to their guns, forcing Adv Chamisa to make a public apology.
Quick reaction by the police, who moved in to disperse the rowdy youths, saved the situation. Police escorted the pair to a nearby primary school's grounds from where they then followed the proceedings.
The youths considered Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora as obstacles to co-vice president Mr Nelson Chamisa's road to leading the party. This came as Mr Tsvangirai's uncle Mr Innocent Zvaipa assaulted a University of Zimbabwe student at the graveyard in full view of mourners for photographing Mr Tsvangirai's mother, Gogo Lydia Tsvangirai.
On arrival at Mr Tsvangirai's homestead, Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora had to scurry for cover as the youths bayed for their blood in front of mourners and dignitaries that included ambassadors from Western countries and Mr Tsvangirai's close friend and Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Dr Khupe was heckled by youths who protested against her presence at the burial, when she was boycotting party meetings in Harare. Dr Khupe has boycotted meetings convened by Adv Chamisa in protest over what she feels is his unconstitutional rise to power.
She was jeered on her arrival, together with Mr Mwonzora. They were manhandled before the police intervened and whisked them away to a hut at Mr Tsvangirai's homestead. That was when the youths threatened to torch the hut.
Away from Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora plight, Mr Tsvangirai's uncle Mr Innocent Zvaipa assaulted a University of Zimbabwe female student at the graveyard for photographing Mr Tsvangirai's mother, Gogo Lydia Tsvangirai.
Mr Zvaipa slapped Ms Nyaradzo Mutize three times before he was restrained by the Tsvangirai family led by Mr Tsvangirai's brother, Manase.
Ms Mutize was forced to delete all the pictures of Gogo Tsvangirai that she had captured. She was also detained for close to 40 minutes under intense interrogation by Mr Tsvangirai's family members.
Gogo Tsvangirai has made headlines after she threatened to commit suicide if Adv Chamisa and Ms Elizabeth Macheka attended her son's funeral.
There was also an exchange of harsh words between the Tsvangirai family members led by the deceased's brother Collin and Adv Chamisa. The misunderstanding delayed the removal of the coffin from the hearse for over 30 minutes.
Collin was insisting that the coffin be returned to the homestead to allow traditional rites to be undertaken, while Adv Chamisa felt proceedings should go ahead in the interest of time, as rains were beginning to build. Collin and his younger brother Manase stuck to their guns, forcing Adv Chamisa to make a public apology.
Source - the herald
