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| Chamisa tries to reason with agitated party supporters at his mother’s funeral |
…as Starman whips up emotions against Khupe
…Madhuku forced to recognize
Chamisa as president
Upenyu Chaota
Tempers flared up in what should
have been a somber moment when MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa was burying
his late mother in Gutu on Tuesday.
Chamisa’s mother collapsed and
died in her garden on July 06, with her burial on July 08 being turned into a political
battlefield after angry mourners tried to charge towards Khupe’s vehicles as
she arrived to pay her last respects.
The mob blocked Khupe from
entering the gate but allowed Lovemore Madhuku whom they later forced to
address Chamisa as president.
In the wake of the fracas,
Chamisa sent Murisi Zwizwai to talk to the visibly angry mourners who were
throwing vitriolic words against Khupe and labeling her a Zanu PF agent.
Murisi, however, failed to
control the mob and reported back to Chamisa who then sent his national
organizer Amos Chibaya to try and calm the storm but to no avail.
Chamisa then went to the gate and
tried to address the mostly youthful mobsters, telling them to be more tolerant
as the funeral was not a political event exclusive to MDC Alliance
sympathisers.
They paid some deference to
Chamisa’s intervention but only to get re-agitated when Khupe tried to pull
back towards the gate again, and Chamisa had to personally go and talk to her
from outside the yard.
Chamisa addressed mourners who
were largely members of his party and expressed his anger and frustrations over
the manner in which the youths had handled themselves.
“We should be more tolerant
because this is a funeral and not a political rally. We have to come together
during mourning and I am disappointed by the behavior showcased by some of you
towards my sister Thokozani Khupe.
“A lot of people are coming here
to pay their respects to Mbuya Chamisa and you should be welcoming. Even my
brother Emmerson Mnangagwa may come here and there will be no need to heckle
him because this is a time for grief and mourning. Let us show maturity and
love because that is what we stand for as a party,” said Chamisa.
However, Chamisa’s brother
Starman was heard swearing against Khupe and telling mourners that he did not
want her at the funeral.
When Madhuku was given a platform
to speak, he was heckled until he relented and addressed Chamisa by the title
‘president’.
Party youths who spoke to TellZim
News had no kind for Khupe whom they said had showed ‘too much guts’ turning up
at an event she definitely knew would treat her with hostility.
“How dare she comes to the
funeral? That is more than an insult to us after what she did. She has gone to bed
with Zanu PF and still retains guts to come and show her face here. We respect
president Chamisa but on this one, we had to defy him. Khupe is working with
our enemies to destroy the party so why should we accommodate her?
“We were respectful enough to be non-violent.
She should be grateful we did not get physical with her. We do not want
anything to do with Khupe and no one will make us respect her unless she stops
her madness. She did not come here to mourn Mbuya Chamisa but she came to
provoke us into becoming violent with her but we were smart enough to avoid
that,” said one youth.
Working with Douglas Mwonzora and
Morgan Komichi, Khupe has recalled several MDC Alliance MPs, senators and
councillors using a controversial Supreme Court judgment which purportedly gave
her leadership of the party.
She has also moved on to seize
the MDC Alliance headquarters in Harare with the aid of soldiers and police
officers.
