Makone denies pimping women for PM
By Lance Guma
Co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone has angrily denied accusations that she is meddling in the private life of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. This follows the confusion surrounding news reports of whether Tsvangirai had married a Harare businesswoman or paid ‘damages’ for getting her pregnant out of wedlock.
On Wednesday political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya accused Makone of working behind the scenes to influence Tsvangirai into marrying Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo, described as a ‘friend or relative’ of Makone. But in an exclusive interview with SW Radio Africa, Makone said:
“I think it’s a problem of proximity. There is no question I was Susan Tsvangirai’s best friend and that I have paid for this with my political life. People have this natural hatred or jealousy for anyone who happens to be close to a leader, any leader I think, in the world.”
Explaining her relationship with Tsvangirai, Makone said: “I have known the PM and his wife for up to 10 years to the time of Mai Tsvangirai’s death and now almost 12 years with the PM. We do not involve each other in our private lives. We involve each other to the extent that we want, and there are boundaries in that relationship. The PM has never allowed me to go into that area of his life.”
Pressed on allegations that she was related to Tembo and that this had fuelled speculation that she had a hand in introducing the woman to Tsvangirai, Makone said: “So what, so what? Whether she is a friend, a relative, an acquaintance, so what? What has that got to do with me if she is to have a relationship with the Prime Minister? She (Tembo) is not a stranger to me.”
Makone said she did not have to reveal to the world how the two met: “It’s really none of my business and I refuse to be involved in the Prime Minister’s private life. When he wants to involve me in this particular matter he shall approach me, when he hasn’t approached me as he has done so far, then it means he does not want me to get involved.”
In addition to the allegations of meddling, it was also suggested to SW Radio Africa that Makone had ambitions of one day becoming MDC-T president and had a so-called Project 2016 being implemented in the party structures. We asked her about this but she laughed off the idea, saying it was ‘wonderful’ that people think, “I have the potential to lead the largest party in the country.”
She went on to say: “I honestly believe that if we went into elections right now Morgan Tsvangirai would win the elections and more than that he will run this country for the next ten years after elections. I have no ambitions to become even the Secretary General or Organiser or anything in the Standing Committee.” She said her position as Chair of the Women’s Assembly was the highest ‘privilege’ she could attain in the party.
“I don’t know what Pedzisai Ruhanya’s problem with me is? I don’t know him from a bar of cheese and he seems to particularly enjoy taking a dig at me at every turn. I’m actually going to sue him and I will sue him to the last cent because I think this man is getting carried away because I have never responded to his accusations, now I am getting sick and tired,” Makone added.
To listen to the full SW Radio Africa interview with Theresa Makone you can listen to Crisis Analysis with guest presenter Lance Guma. CLICK HERE
