Obituary: My brief encounter with Susan Tsvangirai

The late Susan Tsvangirai and Husband Morgan in happier times

On a hot sunny day on 28 March 2008, Ian Makone hosted the final Presidential election rally that was addressed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. I could not afford to miss the momentous occasion for whatever.

My battered Japanese second hand Nissan HB 12 was.
giving problems but together with my cousin we managed to do a quick fix job on it and we were off to Goromonzi.

There were two police roadblocks manned by menacing looking young police officers. On the first we were waved through because they were busy with a van full people wearing Zanu PF regalia.

We thought we were lost because they were heading in the same direction as we were yet the rally was supposed to be an MDC rally.

At the Mverechena shops was another roadblock and a crowd of Zanu PF supporters. We were waved down and thoroughly checked for weapons. Nothing was found but the police would not let us proceed and we wondered why.

As we sat there thinking what it was they were up to one sergeant came to my window and asked where were going. I told him we were proceeding to Chikwaka. He looked at me and said;

“I know you are afraid to tell me you are proceeding to the MDC rally at the next shops but that is none of my business here. Why are your tyres worn out?”

He was right about the first deduction but the tyres hell no. They were brand new. So I tried to evade the first issue by addressing his final question.

“Maybe someone stole my tyres last night and replaced them with worn out ones I retorted sarcastically?” The officer got the sense of humour and reluctantly released a wry smile.

“If you can afford brand new tyres these days you should be well off.”

“Not at all officer, the owner of the car who is in South Africa is the one who is well off. I am just his driver and local agent,” I responded realising the officer was after a bribe which I was not prepared to pay.

“That smooth face can’t be the face of a mere driver. You are the ones in good living not us.”

“No officer I protested, we are living in destitution these days. Only that some of us have learned to avoid being stressed by circumstances beyond our control and we try hard to ignore the stressful demands on our lives. That is why I am trying to put a smile on your face so that you do not look stressed by the job in this heat?” He lets a small laughter and waves me on. Got him.

A few minutes down the road streams of women and children in MDC regalia are on the side roads and paths leading to the venue. We wave the open palm at them and they respond enthusiastically.

We get to the venue and I go straight into the nearest bottle store where a crackling stereo is belting out noisy sungura sounds and the revellers are doing their own thing on the small dance floor in front of the counter.

There is no electricity but this bottle store has a generator. My camcorder’s battery is too low and I was hoping I would charge it up before the rally since at home we had gone without power for two days. Tough luck.

President Tsvangirai had been delayed so i asked if the barman could charge my camera. He hesitated and I offered two scuds for the favour before he could say no. It did the trick.

While the camera was charging we killed time drinking quarts of castle and watching the gyrating dancers. A sudden surge of people towards the podium tent hinted that the Presidential team had arrived and we mingled our way to a vantage point where we could take photos from.

The camcorder had not recharged and my camera was also running out of power. It had to be mobile videos and pictures or nothing. Seated in the tent was the array of MDC nominees to contest the various segments of the harmonised election.

My good friend Ellard is among them and so is Ian Makone and his wife Theresa now Minister of Public Works. Between Ian Makone and his wife are two chairs for the President and his wife.

I negotiate my way to the high table and greet Ian. He has no recollection of who I was and I like it. I greet his wife and she does not recall me either. So I tell to stop being so proud now that she is on home turf and remind her of her recent UK visit with Chairman Lovemore Moyo.

She nearly jumps out of her chair to hug me. The hubby is worried and before he says anything I fire a salvo at him. “As for you Mr Makone don’t think this is an insurance company’s board meeting.”

That does it as he recalls who I am and he extends a warm handshake but too late, the president has arrived and he is being ushered to his seat next to Mr Makone.

Hand in hand with this graceful motherly woman he pulls her chair and after she has sat next to Theresa he greets Makone and the High table occupants. His escort does the same and the crowd is in frenzy.

The Chinja Maitiro slogan has been panel beaten and modified with interesting variations as Nelson Chamisa leads the crowd into chanting them. Tsvangirai is introduced to the supporters and he delivers his last campaign message which captures that the MDC will win the election and the people must be ready to defend their votes.

After the moving oration he calls all the contestants to the centre and introduces them to the people as the team that will carry the MDC emblem to victory.

Then from nowhere there is the shrill for Amai Amai.

The affable Tsvangirai who had been made to remove his cowboy hat went across to the high table and gestured the woman left seated there to come and join the dignitaries on parade.

There is wild whistling and clapping of hands. She takes centre stage and leads the sloganeering in acknowledging the party supporters.

“Maitiro!” she shouts to an electric response of “Chinja!” from the crowd. “Gwendo huno!” she shouts and the crowd responds “Hazvikoni!” “Nekuti?” she asks. “Ndezvashe!” responds the crowd.

“Natenda tonosangana ku State House,” she concludes and holds her husband’s hand gesturing him to usher her back into her seat.

He obliges with the mischief of a boy meeting his first lover.

Beautiful and lovely.

Oh I can’t hold back my tears to think that God has ended this lovely partnership in the tragic manner he did on 6 March 2009.

I can’t carry on.