MDC-T acting president Thokozani Khupe says she had a cordial relationship with late party founding President Morgan Tsvangirai.
Khupe made the remarks during her first appearance at party headquarters Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (MRT) House since the death of Tsvangirai in February 2018.
“I had a very good working relationship with my president. I had deputized him for 12 years. I worked with him for 26 years. Yes of course there was a problem that one problem when we were attacked in Bulawayo. The president whilst seated in this chair (at Harvest House) apologised about what happened in Bulawayo,” said Khupe.
Two weeks before the death of Tsvangirai, Khupe said she visited the late veteran leader at a South African hospital.
“Two weeks before his death I went to South Africa. I visited the president in hospital. He was very excited to see me, we chatted, and we spoke. The president for your own information for those who do not know phoned me two days before he passed on.
“It was very difficult for him to speak but those were his last words, he could not speak but I kept saying president you will be fine because I have gone through the same problem. I had cancer as well and I thought my president will be well because I was in the same situation. In a nutshell I had a good working relationship with him,” said Khupe.
Khupe and three others were in 2017 severely bashed at the party’s Bulawayo provincial offices by party youths allegedly sent by Tsvangirai after they spurned the MDC Alliance signing ceremony in Harare.
The rival camp aligned to Nelson Chamisa has often accused Khupe of having deserted the party due to differences with Tsvangirai on the party’s stance to accommodate former rebels under the MDC Alliance coalition arrangement.
They argued that she missed the number of standing committee meetings to warrant automatic expulsion from the party.
