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(NEWZIMBABWE) The curious case of Tsvangirai's marriage

The curious case of Tsvangirai's marriage
Denials ... Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
22/11/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka is by all accounts, say former media colleagues, what George Bush once called a “stand up kind of guy” - loyal, honest and trustworthy.

Tamborinyoka – who made a career exposing corrupt and lying politicians – is now employed to make politicians look nice, but he is still fondly spoken of among former colleagues who have found him more than helpful in his new role.

But that relationship might be about to change after he made a series of straight-faced denials, starting Monday, of reports that Tsvangirai had married his lover, Locadia Tembo, at a private traditional ceremony in Mazowe.

Tamborinyoka’s denials of an event told by multiple witnesses has left journalists feeling he is being less than truthful, or failing to meet a “legitimate” public expectation “to know what their leader has done, or what their leader has not done”.

Tembo’s family described Tsvangirai arriving at his new inlaws’ home in a convoy, with “groceries to fill a house”. The new bride’s aunt, Felistas Tsine, told reporters Tsvangirai had removed shoes as per custom and acted like a “cultured son-in-law”.

Tembo’s sister, the Zanu PF MP for Goromonzi West, Biata Beatrice Nyamupinga, told the Voice of America’s Studio 7 last night that Tsvangirai had requested a wedding during the same ceremony.
Cue Tamborinyoka:

“If you believe that you may as well believe that Jonathan Moyo is a white man. There is no truth in that.” [New Zimbabwe.com]

"If you can believe that my brother, it’s the same as believing that Nelson Mandela is now 12-years-old.” [Herald]

“As far as I am concerned, the Prime Minister spent the whole day at his Charter House office. I know of no such event that ever took place today.” [NewsDay]

“I know nothing about the issue.” [Daily News]

“The official position to the best of my knowledge is that nothing has happened. But if at all the Prime Minister is going to marry, the nation is going to be told at the appropriate time. What I am telling you is the Prime Minister’s position.” [Voice of America’s Studio 7]

Pedzisai Ruhanya, who worked with Tamborinyoka at the Daily News, told New Zimbabwe.com last night that there was something strangely amiss, but refused to blame his former colleague for the farce.

Ruhanya said: “This is a simple, straight forward thing which Tamborinyoka can perfectly handle [Tsvangirai’s marriage]. There must be other forces behind the scenes, there are goings-on that are beyond Tamborinyoka. There must be a story behind the story.”

More than likely, says Ruhanya, the marriage may have suffered a “stillbirth”.

“If we go by Tamborinyoka’s insistence that the Prime Minister hasn’t married, then essentially that’s Tsvangirai telling the nation that he is being blackmailed, he is being railroaded into something he is not ready for,” he said from London.

A senior official from Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party told New Zimbabwe.com last night that the Prime Minister insists he only engaged Tembo’s family to discuss “damages” – payments made to a woman’s family when she is impregnated outside wedlock. Reports say she is set to give birth to twins early next year.

Adding further intrigue to the situation, the official said Tsvangirai believes he is NOT in a relationship with Tembo, a wealthy Victoria Falls-born businesswoman.

“What Tamborinyoka is telling journalists is the correct position. He speaks for Tsvangirai. What Tembo’s family is telling journalists is their hopes and expectations, nothing more,” the official said, requesting not to be named.

It has been widely reported that Tsvangirai paid US$36,000 cash in lobola at the ceremony, but the MDC-T officials says he handed over a sum of money “slightly below US$10,000”.

Whatever he thought he was paying for, Tembo’s family is convinced Tsvangirai paid lobola and asked to wed their daughter, and they want the world to know about it.

Says Tembo’s aunt, Tsine: “Imagine if you were in my position. How would you feel? Who would not want to have a Prime Minister as a son-in-law?

"There are many Senators and MPs, but there is only one Prime Minister. We consider ourselves very lucky and we are happy for the two [Tsvangirai and Tembo]."

Ruhanya says it could be the case that Tsvangirai is caught-up between two competing interests in his party: his political comrades who are wary of Tembo’s Zanu PF links and his social circle dominated by one powerful family who have been nudging him towards marrying the businesswoman.

“We need to know why Tembo’s family have delegated themselves spokesmen for this union, and we haven’t yet heard voices from Tsvangirai’s family. And why are those who married not celebrating their marriage? The two people who supposedly married are silent,” Ruhanya said.

He added: “It’s an inescapable truth that not everyone is happy in the MDC that Tsvangirai is marrying into Zanu PF. Tembo’s sister is a Zanu PF MP and her husband is on diplomatic service in Australia. That’s too close to the regime [President Robert Mugabe] for comfort.

“The second truth is that there are people behind the scenes within the MDC who are putting Tsvangirai in this situation, they are the biggest culprits. Tsvangirai does not go out looking for girlfriends, but he has personal friends who play matchmakers – and at the heart of this free dating service is personal interest, namely controlling Tsvangirai.

“Who is it that brought this woman to Tsvangirai? That person is a political devil, and the MDC has demonstrated it is not able to deal with the devil it knows. By the time they realise this, things could be out of hand. It could derail democratic transition.”

Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 7:57 PM