Lenard Shepherd Mushonga, the Mazowe Central MDC MP, baffled the house with his controversial and frank contribution during a debate on condolence messages for Masawi, who was Zanu (PF)’s deputy spokesman. Mushonga said villagers sighed with relief when he was removed from his gubernatorial post by President Mugabe, to assume a new role as deputy spokesman in the party.
Mushonga described Masawi as a violent man who sealed off Mashonaland Central province as governor, personally directing an orgy of violence. An outraged Tarirai Noel Mandebvu, Zanu (PF) MP for Gutu West, was called to order by the Speaker, Lovemore Moyo after calling Mushonga a “witch.” “Mr Speaker Sir what is being debated here is very sorrowful because you will find an honourable member standing in this august house to talk ill of the dead,” he said amid heckling about those killed by Masawi.
The MDC’s minister of Public Works Joel Gabbuza also restrained his fellow MDC MP, saying it was “unAfrican” to speak ill of the dead. Gabbuza said the late conferment of hero status on Masawi, who was eventually buried at the national shrine, the Heroes Acre, exposed poor record keeping of so-called heroes and the marginal role he played in the liberation struggle, which Zanu (PF) asserts is a key determinant in the decision to confer the status.
Post published in: News