admin
Mr Jacob Mandeya, believed to be in his early 40s, died suddenly at Mater Dei Hospital in the city on Wednesday after a short illness.
Mandeya raised the alarm last year and made an impassioned plea to the MDC-T leader to stay away from his wife of 12 years, Ms Aquilina Kayidza Pamberi.
A Chronicle news crew visited Number 15 Baxendale Road in Kumalo where mourners, including Ms Pamberi were gathered yesterday morning but was denied entry.
The crew returned late in the afternoon where they noticed that mourners were already leaving for Mandeya’s burial in Rusape, Manicaland province.
His younger brother who chose to remain anonymous confirmed his brother’s death.
He, however, could not be drawn into giving more details surrounding Mr Mandeya’s sudden death.
“I can confirm that my brother died at Mater Dei Hospital yesterday but I cannot give more details because this is a private issue,” he said.
“Everybody is shocked and nobody knows what killed him because he was in good health and did not look threatened by any disease.”
Sources close to the family said Mandeya died at the hospital after complaining of severe stomach pains.
Mandeya told Chronicle in May last year that he suspected that PM Tsvangirai was having an affair with his wife and had caused untold suffering at his home and traumatised his two daughters aged six and 12.
During last year’s MDC-T congress in Bulawayo, Ms Pamberi reportedly moved out of their matrimonial home in Matsheumhlope to their house in Hillside, which was then under construction. At some point Mandeya said on 3 April last year, his wife allegedly spent a night with PM Tsvangirai at Nesbitt Castle in the city.
He said his children had been deprived of their mother’s love as she spent most of the time away on endless trips. He alleged that one day when he threatened to call the police after she had shattered a wine glass during an argument over her moving out, she rushed to the police station and reported him for domestic violence.
Ms Pamberi reportedly first met PM Tsvangirai at Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe’s graduation party in 2009, and at one time allegedly had a picture of herself and the MDC-T leader as a screen saver on her cellphone.
Online Reporter