Muchinguri loses breast, airlifted for special treatment

MINISTER of Water, Environment and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who was injured in a bomb blast at White City Stadium has been airlifted to South Africa for reconstruction surgery after her breast was ripped off during the explosion, a Cabinet Minister from Manicaland has revealed.

The Minister of State in the President's Office Responsible for National Scholarships Christopher Mushohwe who was also caught up in the Bulawayo bomb blast, told The Manica Post on Wednesday that he was out of danger after being treated of chest and back pains while the latest he heard about Muchinguri-Kashiri was that she was "recovering well" outside the country.

Mushohwe said he has not had an opportunity to visit and commiserate with Muchinguri-Kashiri and was relying on information from close relatives frequently visiting her and the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa.

"What happened after the bomb blast is we rushed to the (Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International) Airport, and at that point we did not even know who had been injured. We were later informed that Muchinguri-Kashiri had been injured and taken to hospital. We thought we would visit her in hospital, but she is perhaps out of the country.

"We are in touch with those visiting her, and the Minister Dr Parirenyatwa is following her progress. The latest we have is that she is very stable," said Mushohwe, without disclosing the country.

Efforts to contact Dr Parirenyatwa yesterday were fruitless as his mobile number was continuously  unreachable.

The Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Monica  Mutsvangwa, who is in Angola attending the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Parliament in Angola described the incident as barbaric.

"I am very disturbed by the Bulawayo explosion. This is barbarism at its highest. The President is calling for peace while others are calling for his elimination. What a paradox. This is unacceptable and all perpetrators of this barbarism should be found, arrested and prosecuted. Words alone can't convey the profound pain and crushing feeling arising from the event that unfolded in Bulawayo, it's an emotional moment. Precious lives were lost and people injured. May God bless the victims, favour their families and loved ones, especially the wives and kids as they come to terms with the tragic atrocities," said Mutsvangwa.

Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial chairman Mike Madiro also described the bomb attack as "satanic and barbaric".

"Our mother, one of our own, the national chairman Muchinguri-Kashiri was injured in that incident, but we want to thank God for saving her life and we wish her and other colleagues a speedy recovery. We call upon the security agencies to ensure that our leaders are well protected all times given the nature of the enemy. We cannot afford to have the leadership of the party and country exposed.

"I cannot divulge the nature of her injuries, but what I know is that she is out of danger. We thank God that she is recovering well and out of danger. That is what is important. The enemy failed to eliminate our leaders and I will soon be leading a delegation to commiserate with her," said Madiro, refusing to disclose her exact location for security reasons.

" Those people do not mean well to the country, and wanted to plunge the country into chaos. Regardless of the attack, we are not going to react  and we are calling on the people of Manicaland to remain focused. We want our elections to be held in a peaceful environment and achieve a credible outcome," said Madiro.