HARARE - Jabulani Nkomo, son of the late Vice President John Landa Nkomo, has lavished praise on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for the good relationship the premier enjoyed with his father.

Delivering a speech at the national Heroes Acre yesterday, Jabulani said the two worked closely in spite of their different political affiliations.

Part of the crowd consisting Zanu PF supporters who had mocked the MDC leader during salutations were silenced by Jabulani’s words, who reminded them that his father was a man of peace, unity and integrity.

“Ironically your Excellency, one of the ministries that he was leading was the ministry of Labour and Social Welfare where he had to deal with one ZCTU leader by the name of Morgan Tsvangirai,” he said explaining to the crowd how his father was a “problem solver”.

“I am aware he used to call my father Mudhara John, isn’t that so?,” turning to Tsvangirai for confirmation.

Tsvangirai was the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions’ leader before he founded the MDC in 1999.

Jabulani said this showed how his father had good relations with colleagues irrespective of political differences.

“I remember again, the Prime Minister agreed to attend my father’s elevation function to the presidency because it was John Nkomo’s.

“In his speech, he went on to reveal how close they worked together. He said it was his first ever time to attend a type of party where the leader of one political party attends a function for  an opposition member,” Jabulani said.

 “Our father brought sworn enemies to eat, drink and merry together,” referring to the long rivalry that existed between Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe.

Nkomo succumbed to cancer last week on January 17.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed the government of national unity in 2009 after a disputed 2008 presidential run-off election.