HARARE— Former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s widow, Elizabeth Macheka Tsvangirai, has kicked out the late Movement for Democratic Change leader’s children from his Highlands mansion amid reports that she has “grabbed” all of the deceased’s properties.
She has allegedly blocked Tsvangirai’s relatives and close associates from visiting the mansion following her public humiliation by her mother-in-law, Lydia Tsvangirai, who appeared on state television threatening to commit suicide if she attended her husband’s funeral.
Mrs. Tsvangirai told VOA Studio 7 that she had barred some of the children from visiting the mansion, noting that there is bad blood between her and several family members.
However, the widow of the former trade unionist and maverick MDC founding president, noted that some of Tsvangirai’s children were treating her in a responsible manner.
Family spokesperson, Manase Tsvangirai, said he is surprised that Mrs. Tsvangirai has kicked out some of her late husband’s children from the Highlands mansion.
Mrs. Tsvangirai’s attorney, Harrison Nkomo, stressed that the late MDC-T president’s wife has rights that need to be respected by the Tsvangirai family as she was still married to Tsvangirai before he died.
There are indications that Mrs. Tsvangirai has been living at a Borrowdale house bought by the late former prime minister, who was staying alone at the Highlands mansion, at the time he left for South Africa to seek treatment for cancer of the colon.
Manase Tsvangirai said they are expected to discuss the matter as a family in order to resolve it amicably.
Mrs. Tsvangirai was allegedly left out of the burial proceedings and then told to leave her late husband’s homestead in Buhera soon after he was laid to rest. She did not participate in conducting important rituals for cleansing the bereaved, an indication that all was not well between her and the late former prime minister’s relatives.
It’s not yet clear why the family has tormented her though some close family associates claim that the Tsvangirai family wanted to allegedly grab all properties belonging to the widow before and after Morgan Tsvangirai’s death.
Manase Tsvangirai could not be drawn to comment on this issue.
Tsvangirai was laid to rest a couple of days ago. – VOA
