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THE faction-riddled MDC-T in Bulawayo has been thrown into fresh turmoil with allegations of witchcraft threatening to rip apart the province. The allegations of witchcraft surfaced after Nkulumane legislator Thamsanqa Mahlangu fell ill from suspected cancer. Mahlangu, whom insiders say has not attended Parliament since May due to illness, has been “hidden” away from members of the MDC-T faction led by deputy president Thokozani Khupe, who are accused of bewitching the legislator.
“Mahlangu has not been well for some time. I understand that he’s suffering from cancer. His allies don’t want members of Khupe’s faction anywhere near him as some are accused of bewitching him,’’ a source told The Chronicle.
Mahlangu, according to insiders, has been in and out of hospital in the past three months as doctors battle to contain his illness.
“He’s undergoing chemotherapy and is recovering from home. What’s worrying, however, is how the factional fights in Bulawayo have turned so nasty that people are divided even in times of illness when we’re meant to come together,” said the source.
Efforts to get a comment from Mahlangu were fruitless as his mobile phones continuously rang without being answered. Sources had told The Chronicle that the legislator was not in a good state and may not be able to respond to the calls.
Acting MDC-T Bulawayo provincial chairperson Dorcas Sibanda, who is also the party’s chief whip in Parliament, confirmed that Mahlangu has not been going to the National Assembly due to illness.
“These are personal matters that perhaps the family of the honourable member is best suited to comment on. I can’t also discuss the nature of the illness because those are private matters. As chief whip, I can confirm that he gave notice that he won’t be attending Parliament due to illness,” she said.
On allegations of witchcraft, Sibanda said: ‘‘That has not reached my ears yet. What I can tell you is that I haven’t seen Honourable Mahlangu for a while, but we communicate time and again over the phone.”
A senior Bulawayo provincial member aligned to Khupe said: “We heard about it that even Mahlangu himself doesn’t want to be visited by officials linked to Khupe. Some have not visited him but can you check with Gift Banda (Bulawayo Deputy Mayor, an alleged Khupe ally) because he visited Mahlangu recently. Khupe was the person who sent Mahlangu to hospital so these people are saying baseless things. The problem with these factional fights at times is that people get petty. If they really cared for Mahlangu, why didn’t they take him to hospital?”
Banda yesterday confirmed visiting Mahlangu while he was still in hospital but would not dwell much into his illness.
“I visited him when he was in hospital sometime ago. I can’t discuss the nature of his illness because that’s a private matter,” he said.
Online Reporter