News / National
Funeral exposes deep MDC-T rift
23 Aug 2013 at 13:09hrs | Views
The rift between MDC-T's outgoing parliamentarian for Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency, Giles Mutsekwa and incoming legislator, Arnold Tsunga is proving difficult to mend.
That there is no love lost between the MDC-T heavyweights became clear after Tsunga failed to attend the funeral for Mutsekwa's wife, Gladys Bepe, last Friday.
Several party figures aligned to Tsunga, including MDC-T provincial chairperson Julius Magarangoma, also failed to pitch up at the funeral of the wife of the party's national secretary for defence. Also conspicuous by their absence were members of the national executive most of whom had gone to Malawi to attend the Southern African Development Community summit held over the weekend in Lilongwe.
Provincial executive member, Senator Patrick Chitaka, stood in for members of the national executive.
Chitaka tore into those who boycotted the funeral saying they had failed to temporarily put their differences aside and pay their last respects "to such a gracious woman".
"Let me warn you, especially those of you who are absent and who are waving their arms in victory, now is not the time for such acts. Had it not been for the urgent trip to Malawi very senior members of the party wished to be present but some of you have shown grave disrespect to Honourable Mutsekwa by not even having the decency to pay your last respects to such a gracious woman (Gladys)," said Chitaka.
Tsunga could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was not reachable.
The differences between Tsunga and Mutsekwa's camps have also spilled into the country's courts. An ally of Mutsekwa, Kingston Mutande, the party's organising secretary in Mutare, was recently brought before the court for allegedly assaulting councillor Crispen Dube and public prosecutor Samuel Chabuka who are Tsunga's right hand men.
The alleged attack took place during the MDC-T's primary elections, and were alleged to have been orchestrated by Mutsekwa in an attempt to intimidate Tsunga from contesting the Dangamvura-Chikanga legislative seat.
Chabuka was also arrested on July 17 and brought before the Electoral Court facing charges of disorderly conduct. It was alleged that Chabuka led a group of pro-Tsunga supporters as they tore Mutsekwa's posters in Dangamvura.
That there is no love lost between the MDC-T heavyweights became clear after Tsunga failed to attend the funeral for Mutsekwa's wife, Gladys Bepe, last Friday.
Several party figures aligned to Tsunga, including MDC-T provincial chairperson Julius Magarangoma, also failed to pitch up at the funeral of the wife of the party's national secretary for defence. Also conspicuous by their absence were members of the national executive most of whom had gone to Malawi to attend the Southern African Development Community summit held over the weekend in Lilongwe.
Provincial executive member, Senator Patrick Chitaka, stood in for members of the national executive.
Chitaka tore into those who boycotted the funeral saying they had failed to temporarily put their differences aside and pay their last respects "to such a gracious woman".
"Let me warn you, especially those of you who are absent and who are waving their arms in victory, now is not the time for such acts. Had it not been for the urgent trip to Malawi very senior members of the party wished to be present but some of you have shown grave disrespect to Honourable Mutsekwa by not even having the decency to pay your last respects to such a gracious woman (Gladys)," said Chitaka.
Tsunga could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was not reachable.
The differences between Tsunga and Mutsekwa's camps have also spilled into the country's courts. An ally of Mutsekwa, Kingston Mutande, the party's organising secretary in Mutare, was recently brought before the court for allegedly assaulting councillor Crispen Dube and public prosecutor Samuel Chabuka who are Tsunga's right hand men.
The alleged attack took place during the MDC-T's primary elections, and were alleged to have been orchestrated by Mutsekwa in an attempt to intimidate Tsunga from contesting the Dangamvura-Chikanga legislative seat.
Chabuka was also arrested on July 17 and brought before the Electoral Court facing charges of disorderly conduct. It was alleged that Chabuka led a group of pro-Tsunga supporters as they tore Mutsekwa's posters in Dangamvura.
Source - daily news
