MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa said the late human rights defender Dewa Mavhinga helped his party to plan for the upcoming 2023 harmonised general elections.
Mavhinga, who was the Southern Africa Director with the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch and resided in Johannesburg, South Africa, died a few days after he returned to the neighboring country from a research mission in Zimbabwe.
Addressing mourners at Mavhinga’s burial at his rural home in Chivhu on Sunday, Chamisa said he recently held a strategic virtual conference with the late activist as they planned for the 2023 elections.
Chamisa also said he had warned Mavhinga against coming to Zimbabwe, a few days before he died.
“I had told Dewa to defer his visit to Zimbabwe, but he insisted that he would come. He told me that he was in the southern region visiting other countries including Mozambique,” Chamisa said.
“He inquired why I was stopping him from coming to Zimbabwe. I also insisted that he should not come to Zimbabwe.
“About four weeks ago, we held a virtual meeting with Dewa and three others for over an hour planning the way forward on the 2023 elections.
“Dewa was a veteran, a stalwart, very resolute and a beast in fighting for human rights.
“It is not possible to become a human rights defender without a human rights attacker.”
The opposition leader added that Mavhinga “was a defender because our people are being attacked. We have been robbed as a country, as the whole world, as a generation.”
The funeral was attended by several opposition officials including Professor Lovemore Madhuku and Zimbabwe Democracy Institute director Pedzisai Ruhanya. Nehanda Radio
