Masvingo – A palpable tension hung in the air at the funeral of Clara Shumba in Rutenga last week as her son, Tafadzwa Masvayamwando Shumba, launched a scathing attack on Zanu PF, the very party that had bestowed provincial liberation hero status upon his deceased mother.
Shumba, a former Zanu PF Central Committee member, National Consultative Assembly member, and independent candidate for Mwenezi West in the recent elections, didn’t mince words, declaring the ruling party “evil” and blaming it for the hardships his family has endured.
Shumba’s mother was wife to the late Mwenezi West legislator, Isaac Shumba. The funeral served as a raw and public platform for Shumba to air his grievances, stemming from the contentious Zanu PF primary elections and the subsequent events leading up to the August 2023 harmonised elections.
Shumba had contested the Mwenezi West constituency as an independent candidate after alleging massive rigging orchestrated by Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ) and CIO operatives, which saw Priscilla Zindari-Moyo, wife of CIO director Isaac Moyo, declared the winner.
Adding to the already tense political climate, Shumba’s Toyota GD6 was hijacked at gunpoint and torched near Chirindi Township during the election run-up, an incident he directly links to his challenge against Moyo. He revealed to mourners that crucial family business documents were destroyed in the inferno, and the subsequent police inaction further compounded his family’s suffering, contributing to his mother’s deteriorating health.
“Everyone knows the people who burnt the car and they are walking freely,” Shumba stated, his frustration evident. He added that the police had closed the case without finding the suspects, leaving the family feeling abandoned and vulnerable.
“I want to tell those from the President’s office to listen carefully and report correctly. We are now orphans because of Zanu PF,” Shumba roared as he highlighted the deep sense of betrayal he felt.
He spoke of his parents’ dedicated service to the party, contrasting it with the injustices they had faced.
“My father, my mother and I worked for that party and this is what we are getting in return. I rue the day my father decided to join politics.”
Shumba also recounted a harrowing incident from his mother’s past, describing how she had to flee from soldiers after being betrayed for supporting freedom fighters. The irony of her being declared a provincial liberation hero while the family felt persecuted by the same party was not lost on him.
“They declared a provincial liberation hero but they are not here because they know what they did. Many people are suffering because of Zanu PF,” he lamented.
Zanu PF provincial chair Rabson Mavhenyengwa, however, dismissed Shumba’s accusations as lies. He pointed to the presence of senior Zanu PF members at the funeral, including Politburo deputy secretary for economic development and empowerment Otilia Maluleke and Matabeleland South senator Tambudzani Mohadi, as evidence of the party’s respect for the deceased. Mavhenyengwa claimed that these officials were denied the opportunity to speak at the funeral.
He further argued that Shumba, as an opposition member, was free to make any claims to tarnish the party’s image. Mavhenyengwa also suggested that some Zanu PF members had been threatened by Shumba and therefore chose not to attend the funeral.
“Tafadzwa is an opposition member. We declared his mother a provincial hero because she was our member. Some of our party members attended but were denied to speak,” said Mavhenyengwa.
The incident at Clara Shumba’s funeral underscores the deep political divisions and tensions that continue to grip Zimbabwe. The case also echoes the controversial death of Mutonhori Rwodzi, an independent candidate in Gutu West, who died in a car accident deemed suspicious by many, raising concerns about the safety and security of those who challenge the ruling party.
