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Senior Reporter
MDC-T deputy president Ms Thokozani Khupe yesterday reportedly quarreled with police officers in Umzingwane following a flopped meeting that she had planned to hold at Kumbudzi Business Centre. Ms Khupe was briefly spotted at the shops in the afternoon, about 2km away from where Zanu-PF National Chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo was addressing a rally that was attended by hundreds of villagers.
She was accompanied by MDC-T National Assembly candidate for Umzingwane Ms Nomalanga Khumalo and Senate candidate Mr Kembo Dube.
A witnesses who spoke to Chronicle immediately after her departure said the Deputy Prime Minister, was shocked to find only a handful of people at the venue.
“She was frustrated by the low turn-out because many people had gone for the Zanu-PF rally. She was very angry and started accusing police officers of blocking her meeting,” said the witness.
“There was a heated exchange as the officers tried to reason with her. She could not stay any longer and in less than 10 minutes she drove off.”
Some villagers said Ms Khupe was coming from Silobi and Dula areas where she also held meetings.
It is believed she was reportedly assessing the situation in Kumbudzi ahead of a visit by her leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai to the area today.
There have also been rumours that MDC-T has organised at least 20 buses to transport party supporters from Bulawayo to attend today’s official commissioning of the Mtshabezi pipeline project, which Mr Tsvangirai is set to preside over.
There has been confusion over the official commissioning of the project with villagers from Umzingwane district, saying Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was not the proper person to officiate.
MDC-T is accused of seeking to use the pipeline project for political mileage ahead of the elections.
Expressing their disdain before Cde Khaya Moyo, the villagers said MDC-T has no right claiming credit over the project.
Chief Mathe torched the storm when he said MDC formations have done nothing for the people.
“I have not seen anything that the MDC has done for us. Even this dam is not theirs. We have always been getting food, seed and projects from President Mugabe of Zanu-PF. Let us open our eyes and see the credible leaders,” said Chief Mathe.
Mr Balinga Tshuma, who said he has lived in Mtshabezi since 1930, said he was there when the dam was built by a Zanu-PF Government in the 1990s.
Mr Dume John Maphosa (95) said MDC-T could not commission the dam without consulting the ancestors.
“I was there when Mtshabezi Dam was pegged in 1950. The project, however, stalled until independence in 1980. When construction started Zanu-PF Ministers at that time consulted us and our chiefs.
“We are shocked to hear that the project would be officially commissioned tomorrow (today) when we have not consulted ancestors,” said Mr Maphosa.
Matabeleland South Governor Angeline Masuku also said the success of the pipeline project was a result of tiresome efforts by Zanu-PF leaders.
She said the project gained limelight when Cde Hebert Ushewokunze was the Minister of Water, well before Vice President Joice Mujuru took over the portfolio.
She said by right the project was supposed to be commissioned by VP Mujuru, whom she said contributed a lot towards its success.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland South provincial chairman Cde Andrew Langa concurred that VP Mujuru should officiate.
Cde Khaya Moyo said the people who initiated the project were the ones who were supposed to preside over its commissioning.
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