Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday proceeded to wed his lover, Elizabeth Macheka, but under customary law, as his marriage licence was revoked at the 11th hour.
Report by Nqaba Matshazi
There were two ceremonies — one at Raintree, for invited guests, while another for MDC-T party members was held at Glamis Arena. The mood was somewhat subdued at the main function at Raintree, probably because of the court proceedings that preceded the event. At Glamis Arena on the other hand, a small turnout had gathered in the afternoon, as there were fears that the ceremony would not proceed. But however, the crowd swelled when they heard the Prime Minister would make a cameo appearance. Roman Catholic clergyman, Father Makaka, presided over the ceremony and treaded a thin line, as he reiterated that the ceremony was a customary one, although most of the rites performed are usually associated with legal unions. At Glamis Arena, Tsvangirai had the crowd in a frenzy, as he introduced them to his bride. “Should I get into the Guinness Book of Records for being refused permission to wed?” he said. “How come some have many wives and others have taken other people’s wives yet nothing happened to them?” Tsvangirai also took pot shots at Lorcadia Karimatsenga, subtly saying that if someone had a demon, it ended up consuming both the person and her children. The premier said courts, Herald and ZBC could not select a wife for him and Elizabeth was his chosen one. After the short appearance at Glamis Arena, Tsvangirai returned in his 20-car convoy to Raintree for the conclusion of the evening.
