Is Mwenezi East constituency cursed?

IMAGINE two sitting legislators from the same constituency dying in a row inside one term.

For those who do not believe in the occult, it is just a coincidence, or rather God’s case. But to the superstitious, the circumstances surrounding the death of immediate past legislator Jusby Omar and his predecessor, Joshua Moyo, leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

Moyo replaced Kudakwashe Bhasikiti in 2015 after the latter was expelled from the ruling Zanu PF party over his links to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who was accused of plotting to unconstitutionally unseat then President Robert Mugabe. She denied the charges and was never hauled before the courts.

Moyo was nominated unopposed after Bhasikiti pulled out of the race, suggesting that the money reserved for the by-election would better be used to buy drugs for local hospitals.

Moyo died in 2016 after he suffered a stroke.

Omar, who had initiated several community projects in Mwenezi East died suddenly last Sunday after suffering a heart attack, the ruling Zanu PF party said.

“It’s true we have received the sad news of the passing on of Cde Omar this evening around 6pm after he suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead on arrival at Makurira Memorial Clinic,” Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira said last Sunday.

Omar was declared a liberation war hero and buried at Lawn Cemetery on Monday in line with his Muslim tradition.

Sources in Zanu PF said even though it was too early to start jostling for the seat, many people would not be interested in contesting for the constituency considering the mysterious deaths of the previous representatives.

“That one seems to be a hot seat now. It seems there is someone from Mwenezi who has a sense of entitlement for the seat, but may not be politically popular. Many people are not convinced that the deaths of Moyo and Omar were natural.

“Even though their deaths may have scientific explanations, we feel there is something fishy there, remember we are Africans and witchcraft is real, whether you believe in it or not,” a party official told NewsDay Weekender.

Zanu PF Masvingo provincial spokesperson Ronald Ndaba laughed off the witchcraft claims when called for comment.

“We are still in mourning as a party. I believe Omar’s death was a natural death. I cannot comment on the spiritual realm,” Ndaba said.