WAR veterans’ secretary general and deputy minister Victor Matemadanda Tuesday visited late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s Harare home to mourn the ex-Prime Minister’s daughter Vimbai who succumbed to injuries sustained in a recent car accident.
Obert Gutu, a former MDC spokesperson, legislator and now vice president in the Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T also visited Tsvangirai’s home to mourn the late opposition MP for Glen View South.
A day after President Emmerson Mnangagwa expressed his “sadness” over the passing of the late former Prime Minister’s daughter, Matemadanda, now also Zanu PF political commissar, made his surprise appearance at the funeral wake.
Matemadanda formed a militant group of war veterans that spearheaded Zimbabwe’s chaotic land reform process back in 2000 under then President Robert Mugabe.
The MDC blames intimidation by the partisan former combatants for its failure to win the 2000 election and subsequent elections which were presided over by Mugabe.
However, Matemadanda developed an understanding with Morgan Tsvangirai when he (Matemadanda) and a handful war veterans leaders got expelled from Zanu PF in 2017.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Tsvangirai home, Gutu said it was commendable that they as rivals have displayed political maturity by setting their differences aside to mourn the late legislator.
“Look politics is politics, when things happen, it does not mean we are enemies.
“Seeing things differently does not mean we are enemies. We should go past that trajectory where we say just because you are Zanu, ZUM, we should not talk to each other.
“We believe we are mature people, we mourn together, we eat together, we celebrate together.
“We want Zimbabweans to appreciate that belonging to different political parties or organisations does not mean we should be enemies,” said Gutu, adding that Khupe will also visit her late boss’s home to pay her own condolences.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa arrived just after mid-day and proceeded to console Elizabeth Tsvangirai nee Macheka, Tsvangirai’s widow and step daughter to Vimbai.
Also present was former National Patriotic Front spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire.
Vimbai will be buried at Glen Forest Memorial cemetery in Harare on Thursday.
Her body will Wednesday be taken to her Glen View South constituency where a farewell rally has been planned for her.
The body will then be taken to the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, the main opposition’s headquarters, before being taken to the Strathaven home where it will lie in state.
