Tsvangirai set to marry 35-year old beauty

By Farai Mutsaka

HARARE – Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has been taken. Yesterday, he engaged lover Elizabeth Macheka at a private function, but is keeping marriage on hold until after elections. His spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka confirmed that Tsvangirai has decided to settle down with Macheka, a local businesswoman.

Tsvangirai lost his wife Susan in 2009. He was later embroiled in a love saga involving another local businesswoman Locadia Karimatsenga, who eloped to his rural home claiming she was pregnant last year.

Tamborinyoka confirmed that Tsvangirai hosted an engagement party in Harare last night and the Daily News understands the event, where very few close people were invited, was at La Serenata Restaurant in Highlands.

“The ceremony was attended by members of the Tsvangirai and Macheka families, relatives, friends and senior officials from the MDC and the Prime Minister’s office. The engagement ceremony marks the first step towards formalising the relationship between the two,” Tamborinyoka said in a statement released late last night.

“In his last public statement about his love life, the PM pledged to inform the nation when the time comes for him to settle down with a new wife. The Prime Minister will continue to update Zimbabweans on further developments regarding his relationship with his loved one,” said Tamborinyoka.

Macheka, a 35-year-old beauty, has been lovers with Tsvangirai for over a year now. Marriage is on hold though, at least until after elections, according to sources close to developments. Tsvangirai is in a fragile “unity” government formed in 2009 following disputed elections with long-time rival President Robert Mugabe.

Both men admit they want elections to end their troubled union, but differ on the timing. Macheka could end up having Mugabe to thank for an early marriage if the President gets his way and elections are held this year. Her husband-to-be wants to wait a little longer.

The Premier is insisting that elections should be put on hold until after the implementation of reforms agreed to under the power sharing Global Political Agreement (GPA). It was not possible to get comment from Macheka last night.

Her “victory” is Karimatsenga’s loss as the engagement is sure to shut the door for any prospects of a comeback for her and others who harboured ambitions of getting married to Tsvangirai.

Karimatsenga thought she had bagged the man last November when Tsvangirai sent an entourage to her family home to pay money that her family claimed was a bride price, commonly known as lobola locally.

Tsvangirai, on the other hand, denied marrying Karimatsenga and claimed the money was for compensation after she claimed to be pregnant.

That however, did not stop Karimatsenga from eloping to Tsvangirai’s rural home in Buhera while a local traditional chief from her home area is still demanding that the premier pays a fine for “marrying” in the sacred month of November.

Karimatsenga’s whereabouts are currently being kept under wraps, as anxiety builds on her pregnancy. But, wherever she is, this is certain to come as bitter news. Tsvangirai already has several grown-up children with Susan, who died in a car accident in 2009 at the age of 54. He has previously described Susan’s death as the “darkest” period in his life. Daily News