RUSAPE – As mourners gathered to pay their respects and offer support to the bereaved families of a tragic bus accident, Zanu-PF officials, led by senior party member Esau Mupfumi, seized the opportunity to turn the somber occasion into a political rally chanting “2030 ED will still be around.”
A devastating bus fire in Manicaland claimed the lives of at least eight Anglican Church members, with several others injured. The tragic incident occurred when a Passion Link bus carrying worshippers from Bernard Mizeki Shrine in Marondera caught fire yesterday.
The government has reportedly cancelled the operating permit of Passion Link Coaches whose bus was involved in the accident.
As mourners gathered to pay their respects, Mupfumi, also a prominent bus operator, seized the opportunity to turn the occasion into a political rally.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona who is also a Zanu PF member was also in attendance to pay his respects for the deceased.
In a video circulating on social media, Mupfumi is seen forcing the police and mourners to chant the slogan “2030 ED will still be around.”
Are these guys really 🤔 human? Turning an accident scene into a political event? Those people are mourning and I don’t think they wanted to hear about 2030 ED will still be around. pic.twitter.com/YK8EDBdw21
— Gerrard Anko Ged Belts (@MacBelts) June 18, 2024
The contentious slogan, first introduced in Masvingo, has gained traction as a rallying cry to back President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to prolong his presidency beyond the two-term limit stipulated in the Constitution.
It is believed that Mnangagwa’s plan is being resisted fiercely by his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, who has resisted chanting the slogan at several rallies.
Initially, Mnangagwa denied having plans to extend his term of office, but he was seen at a recent Zanu-PF event forcing his Ministers to chant the slogan.
