Categories: News

Why the Tsvangirai family snubbed Elizabeth

The late Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s brother Manase says his widow, Elizabeth, was not snubbed by the family.

She was one of Tsvangirai’s many wives and so was not expected to monopolise Tsvangirai’s funeral.

Tsvangirai’s mother Lydia had, however, said she did not want to see her and would hang herself if she attended his funeral.

“We have to treat all these wives equally,” Manase told the Herald. “Maiguru Elizabeth was with the body from South Africa to Harare, naturally one has to give others a chance.

“When we were preparing to depart from One Commando to Buhera for the burial, we were asked to provide four people to accompany the body and it followed that she had to give others a chance and that is why she travelled by road. It had nothing to do with allegations of ill-treating her.

“When she came here last night, we gave her a room to sleep in and what better recognition do you expect, and she was quite happy. If you have three wives, for example, and even if one dies, that symbolic union cannot be taken away, particularly when there are children and when lobola was paid. If you do not agree with my interpretation we can ask any elder around.”

Tsvangirai had six children with his first wife, Susan, whom he was buried next to.

The Herald said he also had four children with two different women before marrying Elizabeth. But the question is are these all?

Will the other wives also not start springing up?

Only time will tell when the distribution of the estate starts.

 

(562 VIEWS)

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Is it true that 4 million Zimbabweans went without food on several occasions last year?

At least four million people in Zimbabwe reported that they had gone without food on…

November 5, 2026

Did you know that four of the world’s largest banks are all in China?

Four of the world’s largest banks are all in China. Assets of the Industrial and…

October 15, 2026

Zimbabwe one of the 27 countries in the world where the richest 0.1% has more wealth than the bottom 80%

Zimbabwe is one of the 27 countries in the world where the richest 0.1% of…

October 2, 2026

Zimbabwe third among the least free countries in SADC

Zimbabwe has been ranked third among the least free countries in Southern Africa but it…

May 24, 2026

Why I had a girlfriend two months after my wife’s death- Take 1

I had always considered it a curse for a wife to die before her husband.…

May 18, 2026

Why I had a girlfriend two months after my wife’s death

This is a true story about the challenges and loneliness I faced when my wife…

May 17, 2026