News / Regional
Dead miners' families snub political parties as bodies arrive in Bella
08 Mar 2014 at 12:06hrs | Views
Families of the 22 Zimbabwean miners who died in the Roodepoort mine disaster in South Africa snubbed political parties that tried to hijack the Bulawayo memorial service of their loved ones.
The 22 bodies arrived in Bulawayo in the early hours of Saturday morning and were welcomed at the Kings and Queens Funeral Parlour in Kelvin North by over 500 relatives and residents of Bulawayo. Zanu-PF, MDC T and ZAPU members came in their party regalia hoping to be given a chance to glow at the service.
Family members instead of giving the leaders of the political parties an opportunity to speak at the service only gave one representative to speak on their behalf. The families only thanked the people for their support and assistance in their time of grief.
Notable political leaders on site were Dumiso Dabengwa of ZAPU, Thabitha Khumalo MDC-T and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo, Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo Zanu-PF.
Spokesperson for the families Mr Patrick Matsinanhise said that the families agreed that due to the advanced stage of decomposition of the bodies they needed a very short service and would not allow for a lot of speakers as all the parties wanted to be given a chance to address the mourners. The families were apparently angered by the way the Minister of Provincial Affairs welcomed them demanding that she be the only one given a chance to speak as she "was the person in charge of Bulawayo."
According to family members coordinating the programme, of all the political parties only the ZAPU President, Dr Dabengwa was pencilled to speak amongst one or two other identified community and religious leaders. As a result of the confusion brought up by The Minister and her Zanu-PF contingent all speakers had to be excused and the programme shortened to a very short service to avoid further confusion.
In another development, the much published "grand welcome" that was meant to be done by the MDC-T never happened. MDC T MP for Bulawayo South, Khumalo, during the week told the nation that she was going to meet the bodies on arrival at the "Welcome to Bulawayo" banner but she was not there at about 6am when the bodies got into town. Khumalo also promised to see the bodies off as they leave Bulawayo but at 10am when the convoy of the vehicles left she was nowhere to be seen. Asked for a comment, Matsinanhise angrily said that it was all easier said than done.
"Yah she was going to do that in talk only. Its all easy to say than to act. We just want to go and bury our loved ones and get on with life than be exposed to all this politics," said Matsinanhise.
The 22 bodies arrived in Bulawayo in the early hours of Saturday morning and were welcomed at the Kings and Queens Funeral Parlour in Kelvin North by over 500 relatives and residents of Bulawayo. Zanu-PF, MDC T and ZAPU members came in their party regalia hoping to be given a chance to glow at the service.
Family members instead of giving the leaders of the political parties an opportunity to speak at the service only gave one representative to speak on their behalf. The families only thanked the people for their support and assistance in their time of grief.
Notable political leaders on site were Dumiso Dabengwa of ZAPU, Thabitha Khumalo MDC-T and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo, Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo Zanu-PF.
According to family members coordinating the programme, of all the political parties only the ZAPU President, Dr Dabengwa was pencilled to speak amongst one or two other identified community and religious leaders. As a result of the confusion brought up by The Minister and her Zanu-PF contingent all speakers had to be excused and the programme shortened to a very short service to avoid further confusion.
In another development, the much published "grand welcome" that was meant to be done by the MDC-T never happened. MDC T MP for Bulawayo South, Khumalo, during the week told the nation that she was going to meet the bodies on arrival at the "Welcome to Bulawayo" banner but she was not there at about 6am when the bodies got into town. Khumalo also promised to see the bodies off as they leave Bulawayo but at 10am when the convoy of the vehicles left she was nowhere to be seen. Asked for a comment, Matsinanhise angrily said that it was all easier said than done.
"Yah she was going to do that in talk only. Its all easy to say than to act. We just want to go and bury our loved ones and get on with life than be exposed to all this politics," said Matsinanhise.
Source - Byo24News
