BY SINDISO DUBE

SOUTH African award winning producer and wheel-spinner Prince Kaybee was reported to be sick when he performed at the launch of his latest album Re Mmino on Tuesday night at Cosmopolitan Night club in Bulawayo.

He was scheduled for a meet-and-greet session with his fans at 2pm, but decided to lock himself in his hotel room until his time of performance.

Cosmopolitan Night Club marketing consultant Ntando Ndlovu told NewsDay Life & Style that the Mzansi artiste was not feeling well when he touched down at the Joshua Nkomo International Airport.

“We were forced not to go according to prior plans of having a met-and-greet session, including a radio interview as Prince Kaybee was not feeling well. He said he caught a cold and was suffering from flue,” he said.

“I understand people wanted more of Prince Kaybee, but the show was good as people came out in their numbers and had a good time as Prince delivered.”

The Fetch Your Life hitmaker made his grand entrance at exactly midnight, much to the excitement of the fans who he took down memory lane with his old songs like Wajelwa and Better Days before belting out tracks from his 12-track album.

Fans who packed the venue to watch Prince Kaybee had to be content with his energetic and fun act, for close to an hour.

Soon after his set, Prince Kaybee left the club, with fans still asking for more.

Prince Kaybee’s latest album carries tracks such as runaway hits Banomoya, Club Controller and Fetch your life, Gugulethu, The weekend and Rockets among others.

Meanwhile, Cosmopolitan Night Club will on May 24 host Durban’s finest wheelspinner, producer and singer, DJ Tira, in a potentially explosive gig.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

SOME top African models, both male and female, are set to battle for honours at the Battle of the Models Africa (Boma) series. The series has been shelved for about four years, with the brains behind the project, modelling guru and Zim Gossip Models Agency founder Mercy “Catwalk” Mushaninga (pictured), claiming she was waiting for the right time to host it.

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday, Mushaninga, who is also the Zimbabwe Models Awards founder, said Boma is a reality television series, with 13 episodes for each participating country, which would be screened on local and international television stations.

“The Battle of the Models Africa competition is different from other ordinary modelling competitions as it is moulded along the lines that will help most models to discover themselves and work towards achieving their lifetime goals,” she said.

Mushaninga said scouting had started in other African countries and the response was overwhelming.

“We started our first series in Zambia, where we selected our best five models, both male and female. We have now opened the platform to models who want to challenge our top five locally, as we want new faces of the industry. We also want to market Africa through fashion and beauty,” she added.

“After the challenges, we will choose Zambia’s best two who will battle it out with other African countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana.”

Mushaninga said for the selection criteria, judges would select the best by looking at qualities that make a good model, among such which would include talent, intelligence, knowledge of the modeling industry, natural beauty, skincare, posture, presentation of their country, catwalk or runway and themed designer wear.

“Most teenagers think modelling is a walk in the park, but Battle of the Models Africa will expose who the real African models are. I would like to encourage models to take part in this battle as it will boast their confidence and knowledge about other African countries’, market Africa to the world, as well as understanding cultural backgrounds,” she said.

“The models who are registering have to brace themselves because the competition is going to be tough. We have models who will battle with teams from well developed countries, and it will be a battlefield.”

BY HENRY MHARA

DYNAMOS captain Edward Sadomba makes his much-awaited return to the side when they host a high-flying ZPC Kariba at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday, but the Harare football giants have to wait a little bit longer to welcome back injured Claude Junior Nkahan.

The veteran striker was red-carded in the team’s 2-0 away defeat to Chicken Inn, the club’s third game of the season, which ruled him out of the subsequent two matches against Herentals and TelOne.

Dynamos struggled in the two matches, losing to Herentals in a game that sealed coach Lloyd Chigowe’s fate and has since been replaced by Tonderai Ndiraya.

Ndiraya’s first match was a 1-all draw away to TelOne in a game they played the final 25 minutes a man short after Godfrey Mukambi was shown red. A serious lack of discipline in the squad will add to Ndiraya’s worries as he tries to settle in his new job, where he inherited a young and inexperienced team.

But he will be happy that Sadomba is back and the striker will once again lead the young squad, who are seeking a turn of fortunes after picking four points from a possible 15.

“He (Sadomba) is the captain of the ship, so his return is a morale-booster to the team,” Dynamos team manager Richard Chihoro said yesterday.

“He inspires young players and we hope that his return will motivate the players to start getting positive results. But we are not relying on him alone. What is more important, especially at this point, is teamwork. Players need to fight as one unit to get results; it can’t be about one player,” Chihoro warned.

Dynamos are facing a ZPC Kariba high in confidence, having won their last four matches, but Chihoro is not worried.

“They are winning their matches, but we are not really worried. They are just being lucky to get the wins because all the teams are playing well. Others are getting results and some are unlucky. All the teams, including Mushowani, Yadah and Bulawayo Chiefs are playing well, but are unfortunate to lose matches, so we will treat ZPC Kariba like any other team,” Chihoro said.

While the return of Sadomba will excite Dynamos fans, they will have to wait a little bit longer to see Nkahan in action again.

The Cameroonian, nicknamed Neymar, picked an injury in a game against Hwange and has been out of action since.

No good news is coming from the camp on his recovery, with Chihoro saying the winger might need two more weeks before he can play again.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday six fixtures

Saturday: Bulawayo Chiefs v Yadah (Luveve), Ngezi Platinum Stars v TelOne (Baobab), Black Rhinos v Triangle United (National Sports Stadium), FC Platinum v Herentals (Mandava)

Sunday: Dynamos v ZPC Kariba (Rufaro), Manica Diamonds v Chicken Inn (Gibbo), Chapungu v Mushowani Stars (Mandava), Highlanders v Hwange (Barbourfields), Caps United v Harare City (National Sports Stadium)

BY ALJAZEERA

Next to a marble pulpit inside a Catholic church, a young Muslim girl chases around with other children.

The church has become a home for her and nearly 1,000 others from different faiths as they wait out the aftermath of Mozambique’s latest devastating cyclone.

Situated in the heart of this predominantly Muslim but diverse city ravaged by Cyclone Kenneth, the Maria Auxiliadora parish houses those displaced by the storm in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s northernmost province.

“We don’t ask about people’s religions, human life is all we value,” Father Ricardo Filipe Rosa Marques, the 41-year-old priest in charge, told AP news agency.

The government has said 41 people have died after the cyclone made landfall on Thursday, and the humanitarian situation in Pemba and other areas is dire.

More than 55 centimetres of rain have fallen in Pemba since Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai tore into central Mozambique.

This is the first time two cyclones have struck the country in a single season, and Kenneth was the first cyclone recorded so far north in Mozambique in the era of satellite imaging.

The danger is not over. More rain was expected and rivers were expected to reach flood stage by Thursday, the United Nations humanitarian office has said, citing a UK aid analysis. It is the end of the rainy season and rivers already were running high.

Shelter is a top priority for most cyclone survivors and this is what the church is providing, promoting itself as a safe space even before the storm.

In a region where little-known Muslim armed groups have reportedly killed dozens of people in recent months, a certain amount of tension might be expected. But for some, what matters most is shelter.

“I had never been in a church before … but as long as I am safe I don’t mind,” said Aamilah Felciano, who is Muslim. “It doesn’t mean I have abandoned my faith, I am just saving my life.”

The church has suspended mass and other routine programmes. There is no space or time for such activities, the priest said.

“There can be no better mass than giving people shelter and hope. That is the church’s mission,” he said.
Women and children have taken up residence inside the main hall. The few belongs they could carry as they fled, mainly clothing and plastic buckets, are tucked close by.

Children climb over the pulpit and the priest’s chair, playing. In one corner a woman breastfeeds her baby. Church pews have been turned into washing lines.

Outside, shielded from the pounding rains, girls and boys take turns stirring huge pots of rice and soup.

As nightfall approaches, people prepare reed mats or pieces of cloth. Some will sleep on the bare floor. Men sleep on the hall’s balcony.

More than 900 displaced people are sheltering here, while about 200 others are staying at church centres elsewhere in the city, according to Joao Paulo, an official with Caritas, a Catholic relief agency.
Some people are still arriving. But getting people to leave their homes was not easy at first.

“The difficulty was that a lot of people here are Muslims, some said they cannot stay in a Catholic church,” said the priest, Rosa Marques, adding: “Some refused and preferred to stay at their homes. My heart broke because these people chose to face death over safety.”

But there are few religious tensions among city residents, he said, and many of the people arriving at the church with food, medicine and other aid are Muslim. “It is not as difficult as in other areas,” he said.

As he spoke, the Muslim call to prayer blared from speakers at one of the numerous mosques nearby, and people left the church to pray.

Kenneth is not the first calamity to bring people of different faiths together in the province. When the Muslim armed groups intensified their attacks on local communities last year, Muslims and Christians organised joint prayer meetings and opened an inter-faith dialogue centre, the priest said.

“People here have suffered a lot. They have been through (Portuguese) colonialism, civil war and the recent killings. They have been living with scars for years yet their love and sense of sharing is amazing,” he said.

“I am learning from them. The people here are teaching me how to be a true priest.”

BY BBC

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro says he has defeated an “attempted coup” by opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Dozens of National Guardsmen sided with the opposition in clashes on Tuesday that injured more than 100 people.

But in a defiant TV address, President Maduro said Mr Guaidó had failed to turn the military against him.

Mr Guaidó insists that Mr Maduro has lost control of the armed forces. The opposition leader called for more streets protests on Wednesday.

“Today we continue,” he tweeted. “We will keep going with more strength than ever, Venezuela.”

Mr Guaidó has been recognised as interim leader of Venezuela by more than 50 countries, including the US, the UK and most in Latin America.

The US reiterated its support for Mr Guaidó on Wednesday, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying “military action is possible” if necessary.

But Mr Maduro, backed by Russia, China and the top of the country’s military, has refused to cede leadership to his rival.

Mr Pompeo is scheduled to speak with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, National Security Adviser John Bolton said.

What did Mr Maduro say?

In his televised address, flanked by military commanders, Mr Maduro accused protesters of “serious crimes” which he said would “not go unpunished”.

Both the president and Mr Guaidó have called on their supporters to take to the streets, setting up more potential violent unrest in a nation already beset by economic crisis, chronic power cuts and widespread food shortages.

Mr Maduro lashed out again at the United States, which he accuses of plotting against him. He dismissed a claim by the US that he had a plane ready on the tarmac to take him to Cuba, a staunch supporter of the beleaguered president.

“They had an airplane on the tarmac,” Mr Pompeo said. “He was ready to leave this morning [Tuesday], as we understand it. Russians indicated he should stay.”

What happened on Tuesday?

A three-minute video by Mr Guaidó published in the early hours of Tuesday showed him standing alongside a number of men in military uniform. He announced that he had the support of “brave soldiers” in the capital, Caracas.

He urged Venezuelans to join them in the streets, and appeared alongside another opposition leader, Leopoldo López, who had been under house arrest since 2014.

Supporters on both sides then gathered in different places of Caracas throughout the day, and there were clashes between Mr Guaidó’s supporters and armed military vehicles.

Protesters were also seen throwing rocks, but being repelled by tear gas and water cannon. At one stage a military vehicle was filmed driving into protesters.

Mr Guaidó, the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, has called on Venezuela’s military to back him ever since he declared himself interim president in January.

He argues that President Maduro is a “usurper” because he was re-elected in polls that had been widely disputed.Tuesday marked the most violent episode of the Venezuelan political crisis this year. Venezuelan health officials said 69 people were injured in the clashes, including two with bullet wounds.

Broadcasts from a number of news agencies, including the BBC and CNN, were apparently suspended amid the violence.

Later on Tuesday, it emerged Mr López had sought safety in the Chilean, then the Spanish embassy, along with his family.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency prohibition against all US carriers flying below 26,000ft in Venezuelan airspace.

It also said all US operators should leave the country within 48 hours, due to increasing political instability.

One sidebar to the Venezuela story is the battle for influence between the US and Russia. It’s a battle that, for now at least, Russia seems to be winning.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quick to accuse Russia of meddling, insisting that its government had persuaded President Maduro to abandon plans to flee to Havana.

While the US has firmly backed the Venezuelan opposition leader Russia has thrown its weight behind Mr Maduro – vetoing a US resolution calling for fresh Venezuelan elections and offering considerable practical assistance – medicines, grain supplies and unspecified military support.

Russia’s support for Venezuela has been long-standing. And it’s not just a matter of strategic rivalry with Washington, corporate interests in Moscow and individuals close to President Putin have large stakes in Venezuela’s oil industry.

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How did the international community react?

UN Secretary General António Guterres has appealed for both sides to avoid violence.

The US reiterated its support for Mr Guaidó. In a television interview on Wednesday, Mr Pompeo said Washington would prefer a peaceful transition of power but stated that “military action is possible”.

“If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do,” the US Secretary of State said.

President Donald Trump said he was monitoring events in Venezuela “very closely” and said the US stood with the Venezuelan people and their freedom.

He also threatened to implement the “highest-level sanctions” and a “full and complete embargo” against Cuba unless its military immediately ceased its support of Mr Maduro.

Governments who still support Mr Maduro, including Bolivia and Cuba, condemned Mr Guaidó’s efforts as an attempted “coup d’etat”.

The Mexican government expressed “concern about a possible increase in violence” while Colombian President Ivan Duque urged the Venezuelan military to stand “on the right side of history” against Mr Maduro.

An emergency meeting of the Lima Group of Latin American countries has been scheduled for Friday.

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BY BBCSPORT

Caster Semenya has lost a landmark case against athletics’ governing body meaning it will be allowed to restrict testosterone levels in female runners.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) rejected the South African’s challenge against the IAAF’s new rules.

But Cas said it had “serious concerns as to the future practical application” of the regulations.

Olympic 800m champion Semenya, 28, said in response to the ruling that the IAAF “have always targeted me specifically”.

“For a decade the IAAF has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger. The decision of Cas will not hold me back,” the statement continued.

“I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”

Previously, she had said that she wanted to “run naturally, the way I was born”.

Now she – and other athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) – must either take medication in order to compete in track events from 400m to the mile, or change to another distance.

Cas found that the rules for athletes with DSD were discriminatory – but that the discrimination was “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to protect “the integrity of female athletics”.

However, Cas set out serious concerns about the application of the rules, including:

Worries that athletes might unintentionally break the strict testosterone levels set by the IAAF;

Questions about the advantage higher testosterone gives athletes over 1500m and the mile;

The practicalities for athletes of complying with the new rules.

Cas has asked the IAAF to consider delaying the application of the rules to the 1500m and one mile events until more evidence is available.

Semenya is still eligible to compete at the Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday and can make an appeal against the Cas ruling to the Swiss Tribunal Courts within the next 30 days.

What are disorders/differences of sex development (DSD)?

People with a DSD do not develop along typical gender lines.

Their hormones, genes, reproductive organs may be a mix of male and female characteristics, which can lead to higher levels of testosterone – a hormone that increases muscle mass, strength and haemoglobin, which affects endurance.

The term “disorders” is controversial with some of those affected preferring the term “intersex” and referring to “differences in sex development”.

The new rules come into effect on 8 May, which means athletes who want to compete at September’s World Championships – also in Doha – will have to start taking medication within one week.

Those affected by the rules will have to have a blood test on 8 May to test their eligibility. A statement from the IAAF said that no athlete “will be forced to undergo any assessment” and that any treatment was up to the individual athlete.

Athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) have higher levels of natural testosterone, which the IAAF believes gives them a competitive advantage – findings that were disputed by Semenya and her legal team.

Her lawyers had previously said her “genetic gift” should be celebrated, adding: “Women with differences in sexual development have genetic variations that are no different than other genetic variations in sport.”

They have also suggested that Semenya “does not wish to undergo medical intervention to change who she is and how she was born”.

BY CNN Business

London — Europe’s telecoms companies want to do business with China’s Huawei. That may have just gotten harder.

Vodafone (VOD) and Huawei confirmed Tuesday that the phone company discovered vulnerabilities in Huawei software in 2011 and 2012, following a report from Bloomberg News.
The problems were routine and promptly fixed, the companies said. But the disclosure could give the United States more ammunition in its campaign to block Huawei from next-generation 5G networks in Europe because of fears that China could use the technology for spying or sabotage.

“It will be pointed to as … yet another past security concern around Huawei,” said Paul Triolo, head of the geotechnology practice at consultancy Eurasia Group.

Messy politics

Many of the biggest telecoms companies in Europe use Huawei components in their existing networks, and would like the option to use the Chinese company’s products to build the super-fast 5G services that will power self-driving cars and future smart cities.

“The telecom community has been very supportive of Huawei,” said Dario Talmesio, an analyst at market research group Ovum. “Without Huawei, they don’t have enough diversity of suppliers.”

Huawei is the world’s largest supplier of telecoms equipment, and its market share in Europe is estimated at between 35% and 40%.

The company’s presence in Europe is helping to keep down costs, telecom providers say. And having components from multiple suppliers can make networks less vulnerable to attacks.

Yet their ability to keep doing business with Huawei has been put into doubt by a bruising political fight.

The Trump administration has repeatedly warned allied countries that the United States could restrict intelligence sharing if they permit the use of Huawei equipment in their 5G networks.

The United States claims that the Chinese government could use Huawei devices for spying, allegations the company has denied. European countries have not yet agreed to the US demands.

The United Kingdom reportedly settled on a compromise approach last week that would ban products made by Huawei from “core” 5G infrastructure, but allow them in less sensitive parts of the network.
EU officials have directed countries to complete 5G risk assessments, and conduct a wider security review by the end of December that will include steps to safeguard 5G networks.

Telecoms companies, meanwhile, have been forced to walk a political tightrope.

BT (BT) said in December that it would not buy Huawei equipment for the core of its 5G network, even though a top executive at the company later said he had seen no “cause for concern.”

Europe’s biggest wireless provider Vodafone followed in January with an announcement that it would pause the installation of Huawei equipment in its core networks in Europe, given the political uncertainty surrounding the Chinese company.

Issues in Italy

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Vodafone (VOD) found “hidden backdoors” in Huawei software that could have given Huawei unauthorized access to one of its networks in Italy that provides internet service.

Huawei’s critics are likely to seize on the report as evidence that the company presents a security risk. Vodafone, however, quickly pushed back on the story.

The company said in a statement that the issues were identified via routine security testing and resolved in 2011 and 2012. It said there was no evidence of any unauthorized access.

Huawei said in a statement that the issues were addressed years ago. “Software vulnerabilities are an industry-wide challenge,” a spokesperson said.

For European companies inclined to stand by Huawei, it’s another headache.

“[The] Vodafone claims could reopen many of the discussions that were archived as recently as last week,” Talmesio said.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

WORKERS’ unions have bemoaned the plethora of challenges faced by employees, whose stagnant salaries have been eroded by runaway inflation, amid incessant price hikes, flouting of labour laws and sexual harassment at workplaces.

Speaking to NewsDay ahead of today’s May Day commemorations, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Peter Mutasa said the commemorations had been dampened by the spectre of food insecurity and serious financial challenges, which could get worse as the year progresses, with the Zanu PF government failing to tame the tide.

“This is another bleak year for labour and all hopes, soon after the November 2017 removal of former President Robert Mugabe that things will improve, have been dashed because the country is facing a plethora of challenges such as food insecurity, failure to pay rentals and a majority of school children are going to be sent away from school for failure to pay fees,” Mutasa said.

“A lot of workers are dying at their homes because they cannot afford medical care because they earn useless RTGS dollars, while there is a mismatch in prices which are in United States dollars.”

This year’s main commemorations will be held at Dzivarasekwa Stadium in Harare where opposition leader Nelson Chamisa and his entire top party leadership will be among the guests.

Mutasa said he will be the guest speaker and his speech will be followed by another speech by ZCTU secretary-general Japhet Moyo.

“It is our day as workers so we as ZCTU, will be the guest speakers. We have invited all political parties (and leaders) in Zimbabwe, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa. If he does not attend, at least we expect the Labour minister Sekai Nzenza to attend as we have provision for their speeches. In the past, in 1987 and 1988, former Prime Minister Robert Mugabe used to attend May Day commemorations,” Mutasa said.

He said government policies pertaining to workers had caused much harm to the economy and there was now need to change course.

“Labour laws have been amended many times since 2002 with an aim to weaken protection of workers in line with neo-liberalist policies that government has put in place since 1991. Our Constitution for the first time recognised labour rights, but we have witnessed court judgments like the infamous July 2015 Supreme Court ruling where the law was interpreted in such a way that neo-liberalism and business win,” Mutasa said.

In the landmark ruling, the Supreme Court gave the employer the right to terminate workers’ contracts and offload them at three months’ notice without having to pay retrenchment packages.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said: “Our entire leadership from the party president Nelson Chamisa and other top leadership is going to attend, including MPs, councillors, members of the standing committee and party members will be there. Party members will also attend the May Day commemorations from various provinces in solidarity with the workers.

“Therefore, we expect anyone who has worked, who has never worked, and who hopes to work to come in solidarity with workers because people must be able to fight against the austerity measures that ZCTU is talking about.”

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Union chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said remuneration of workers had been eroded.

“Teachers, specifically, are now grounded such that some have debts of up to $2 000 every month when they earn $600 monthly. We now want employers to increase salaries,” Ndlovu said.

Association of Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said May Day commemorations come at a time when austerity measures put in place by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube have made the working class poorer.

“As far as labour rights are concerned, teachers that took part in demonstrations have had their salaries un-procedurally cut. Government is setting a bad precedent to the private sector. Our union members have also been abducted and tortured against international labour recommendations and local laws,” he said.

The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) said the commemorations come at a time when the economic situation is worsening, reducing most Zimbabweans, including workers to live a life of perpetual poverty.

“The harsh economic environment punctuated by rising cost of basic commodities, a cash crisis, retrenchments, unemployment and the widening gap between the poor and rich, has compromised the rights and health status of workers,” CWGH said.

The organisation added: “(Workers) cannot get or afford decent quality health services. Although the cost of living is skyrocketing on a daily basis, remunerations for most workers have remained stagnant for nearly two years condemning the workers to being destitutes.

“Worst affected are those working in mines, farms and plantations where wages are miserably low. Most of them depended on the collapsed public health sector and cannot afford private services.”

BY OBEY MANAYITI

THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC yesterday said the opposition party will not be cowed into silence by the State, while vowing its planned demonstrations will not be shelved despite threats of a clampdown by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

Instead, the opposition party challenged the government to stop being on the offensive against pro-democracy activists and attend to the pressing economic situation that has triggered an upward spiral of prices.

Home Affairs minister Cain Matema on Monday issued a thinly-veiled attack on the opposition, claiming the State had gathered intelligence of planned civil unrest.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said demonstrations were constitutional and as a party they will not be deterred by such threats.

Mafume said the State is misleading itself with fake letters purportedly coming from the party reportedly implicating opposition leaders, Chamisa and Tendai Biti in the January violence.

“We don’t need greenlights for any demonstrations. They are a constitutional right and enshrined in section 59, to be (precise),” Mafume said.

“It is the person who has a problem with a demonstration who has to indicate what problem he has. To express ourselves is constitutionally enshrined and we don’t need to seek anyone’s permission.

“We will continue our peaceful demonstrations under the leadership of president Nelson Chamisa as and when it is necessary to do so together with aggrieved members of society.”

Mafume said instead of issuing threats, the government must work out solutions in the face of the deteriorating economic situation.

Mafume also encouraged party members to attend the memorial service of their founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai at his rural home in Humanikwa village, Buhera, over the weekend.

He said the requirement by the family not to bring regalia, but that of Tsvangirai, has no effect because all MDC members are also the Tsvangirai family.

“We will attend that in full force, we are going to be wearing whatever we want, whether it is party regalia or not. As you remember, Tsvangirai is the founder of MDC. We are the family of Tsvangirai, his family is the MDC.

“They were beaten with him, they suffered with him, they died with him and some of us are carrying the scars of being part of Morgan Richard Tsvangirai’s family. The family has no demarcation, the whole of Zimbabwe, the MDC and everyone who died in his name, everyone who was tortured in the name of MDC is his family,” he said.