Tsvangirai dismisses accusations of an affair

Luke Tamborinyoka a spokesman for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has angrily dismissed what he called attempts by the state owned Herald newspaper to ‘besmirch’ the PM by linking him to a married woman who is trying to divorce her husband.

The Herald claims Aquilina Pamberi who has been married to her husband, local haulage company owner Jacob Mandeya, is trying to end their marriage. She accuses Mandeya of emotional stress through verbal insults, physical assault and withholding income and says there is no peace in the relationship.

In a sensational twist to the case Mandeya stunned the Juvenile Court at the Tredgold Building in Bulawayo on Friday by claiming his wife wants to leave him to continue an affair with Tsvangirai. The two allegedly met at a social gathering in Bulawayo last year and are said to have struck up a close friendship.

Tamborinyoka laid into the state owned paper accusing them of making claims ‘unfounded and baseless’ accusations which were ‘highly defamatory’ and a bid to ‘besmirch the person and office of the Prime Minister.’

‘We had hoped that the public media would use the new political dispensation to embark on responsible journalism and to refrain from publishing perfidy and outright lies. It is not in the national interest to engage in needless journalistic persecution of popularly elected national leaders. Responsible journalists cannot sulk on behalf of unpopular politicians.’

“No amount of yellow journalism will distract the Prime Minister from his core business of bringing about real and positive change in the lives of the people of Zimbabwe,” Tamborinyoka said.

Tsvangirai’s wife, Susan, was killed in a car crash along the Harare-Masvingo road in March 2009. Since then he has been linked with Harare businesswoman Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo. Tsvangirai and Tembo are said to have first met in South Africa at the OR Tambo International Airport. 

The 38-year-old is a wealthy commodity-broker who supplies several chain stores in Harare and South Africa. She spends some of her time in South Africa where she owns a house. In Harare, she owns a house in Greendale and is building another state-of-the-art two-storey house in the leafy suburb of Greystone Park.

Tembo, who was once married to one Ben Muchedzi, has one child Tanaka (16) from her previous marriage.