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GREENWICH NDANGA

Fidelis Munyoro Senior Writer
MDC-T Mashonaland West provincial chairman Greenwich Ndanga is among more than 80 people who died when a hostel of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Nigeria collapsed last Friday.
Party spokesman Mr Douglas Mwonzora last night confirmed the death of Ndanga.

He said Ndanga, who was a pastor, had gone to Nigeria on church business.

“Greenwich Ndanga died at TB Joshua hostel in Nigeria. It is with sadness that we learnt of the death of Greenwich Ndanga who was our shadow MP in Mashonaland West Province as well as our top official in that region,” said Mr Mwonzora.

“We have not yet been advised as to the funeral arrangements. Our president and senior leadership will be at the funeral.”

Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Joey Bimha last night said his office has not yet received any report from the country’s embassy in Nigeria.

“We are waiting to hear from our embassy in Nigeria,” said Ambassador Bimha. “We will call Abuja first thing in the morning.”

Ndanga’s family confirmed to foreign media that he died after the six-storey building crumbled to the ground.

More than 130 people were rescued from the rubble.

The MDC-T senior leadership has over the years been clandestinely visiting SCOAN for spiritual healing and answers.

Last year, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai visited TB Joshua’s church seeking spiritual answers to his problems at home and in the party following his party’s thorough hiding in last year’s harmonised elections.

He rushed to Nigeria as pressure was increasingly mounting for him to resign from the leadership of MDC-T following the crushing defeat where he managed only 33,94 percent of the presidential vote against President Mugabe’s 61,09 percent.

South African president, Mr Jacob Zuma on Wednesday confirmed that 67 South Africans died in the accident and has since dispatched an emergency rescue team to Lagos.

According to reports SCOAN leader Mr TB Joshua told his congregation that a mysterious plane was seen hovering moments before the building collapsed.

But Nigerian officials said the building collapsed because of structural defects following the construction of an additional four storeys.