SUSPECTED MDC supporters heckled MDC-T top official Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga as she took her turn to speak at a Thursday Harare discussion on a government sponsored constitutional amendment Bill.
The outspoken politician was co-panellist in a discussion that also featured, among others, NCA leader Lovemore Madhuku and one time Robert Mugabe media linkman Jealous Mawarire.
The Heal Zimbabwe Trust discussion was on the controversial “Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No 2” which seeks, among other things, to do away with the presidential running mate clause in future presidential elections.
Earlier on, Madhuku was booed by the hostile section of the audience upon mention of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s constituted Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) which the main MDC has snubbed for allegedly being an inconsequential platform of “political nobodies” to discuss the country’s myriad problems.
But when Misihairabwi-Mushonga stood up to talk, she began her remarks by uttering warnings at the section of the audience insisting she would not tolerate similar abuse in her address as “I am a feminist”.
That sparked the jeers from a section of suspected MDC supporters, with some shouting obscenities at her. Nelson Chamisa’s MDC is a rival party to Misihairabwi’s MDC-T which is part of POLAD.
Not to be intimidated, the firebrand legislator and feminist answered back, telling her hecklers on how uncouth they were.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga accused the hostile section of the audience of behaving like Zanu PF and at one point attempting to burn former party deputy president Thokozani Khupe inside a hut during founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s funeral two years ago.
The standoff went on for almost 10 minutes.
An attempt to intervene by Tsvangirai’s MP son Vincent Tsvangirai and Heal Zimbabwe Trust director Rashid Mahiya failed.
It was only when MDC Harare councillor and former spokesperson, Jacob Mafume grabbed the microphone and pleaded with the audience that calm was restored.
“I think the idea is that we do not agree with everyone and everything that they are saying, let’s get through this programme. We do not need to confirm the worst of behaviours,” he said.
“We are invited guests for this programme, let us respect the presenters.
