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Tsvangirai falls sick

Politics
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday fell ill and failed to address an Africa Day rally at the Zimbabwe Grounds, Highfield in Harare.

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday fell ill and failed to address an Africa Day rally at the Zimbabwe Grounds, Highfield in Harare. MOSES MATENGA

Officials said Tsvangirai, who is battling fierce internal fights that have seen him breaking ranks with long-time ally and party secretary-general Tendai Biti, had been advised by his medical doctor to slow down and take a bed rest.

Morale among the estimated 10 000 party members took a nosedive when MDC-T national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa broke the news about their leader’s ill health.

Chamisa said: “The message I want to give you needs people with a strong heart. Today, when we had planned our rally, you came in your numbers. This is a good crowd that shows people are determined. We got a message that doctors said our president (Tsvangirai) has overworked and should rest.”

But party returnee Job Sikhala stepped in and sent the crowd into frenzy when he said Zanu PF leader President Robert Mugabe’s days at State House were coming to an end.

“For 35 years we are still under the yoke of a dictator, it’s time we demand our freedom. There were worse dictators like Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gadhafi, but the people said enough is enough. It’s one day when people will say enough is enough and the time will come,” Sikhala said.

Other party members could be seen walking out when acting secretary-general Tapiwa Mashakada started making his speech on behalf of Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai last week also failed to turn up for another MDC-T party rally in Glen View, Harare for yet unknown reasons.

Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said the former premier’s doctor had advised him to take a rest hence he could not go against the advice.

“All I can tell you is that we got a message from the president’s doctor that he can’t come. It’s important for his health,” Tamborinyoka said without indicating what the opposition party leader was suffering from.

He quashed reports that the former Prime Minister was down with malaria, but declined to disclose whether he was recuperating in hospital or at home.

At yesterday’s rally, MDC-T’s National Guardian Council members took time to clarify the confusion over the Thursday meeting that saw acting chairperson Sekai Holland making a statement before making a U-turn hardly 24 hours claiming she was intimidated by suspected Tsvangirai loyalists to present a Press release attacking the suspension of Tsvangirai and other top officials by the Biti faction.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora also made a sensational claim that Holland had “doctored” a party statement she had been made to deliver and hired State security agents to protect her from the MDC-T youths.

“She said she was followed by unmarked vehicles [hence] they were Tsvangirai vehicles. She said she was afraid of being attacked by the MDC and asked State Security to be there. She asked for CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation) to come, [so] she was followed by the CIO,” Mwonzora said.