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Harare Bureau
MDC Alliance hooligans allegedly manhandled and temporarily blocked MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe from attending the burial of Gogo Chamisa, the mother to MDC-Alliance faction leader Nelson Chamisa, who was buried in Gutu yesterday.

Witnesses were left speechless by the behaviour of Mr Chamisa’s supporters who sought to block perceived foes from the funeral, something that is alien to the spirit of ubuntu/hunhu. As Dr Khupe disembarked from her vehicle to join other mourners to bid farewell to Gogo Chamisa, some MDC-A hooligans allegedly threatened to unleash violence, but luckily she was rescued by Mr Chamisa who ordered the youths not to embarrass her.

Dr Khupe’s spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni, who accompanied her to the funeral confirmed the incident.

“We went to Chiwara, in Gutu to pay our last respects to the late Gogo Chamisa, but some MDC-A hooligans embarrassed us at the funeral, but fortunately Chamisa rescued us. We managed to attend the burial proceedings but the environment was tense, though it was not that serious as compared to what happened during the late MDC-T founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s funeral in Hamanikwa, Buhera.

Zimbabweans should accept politics of tolerance. With the events which are currently happening, the MDC-A hooligans did take the issue lightly,” said Phugeni.

He added that politicians should accept tolerance despite one’s political affiliation.

“No one was injured during the melee. It’s a regrettable occurrence. Politicians should stop politicking at funerals,” he said.

Dr Khupe and Mr Chamisa are currently locked in a bitter contest for control of the fractured opposition with the latter so far the worse off from the protracted legal and political warfare.This is not the first time that supporters of Mr Chamisa have used funerals to settle political scores having threatened to burn Dr Khupe along with the MDC-T secretary general Mr Douglas Mwonzora inside a hut during the burial of the party founding president Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018.