MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday disclosed he has cancer of the colon, a rare revelation by a politician in a country where the health of political leaders is more guarded than State secrets.
NewsDay Comment
Tsvangirai was brave to make such a disclosure and we hope it opens the way for other senior leaders to disclose their afflictions, whether they are in office or if they seek public posts.
This is the kind of transparency that Zimbabwe needs and Tsvangirai has thrown down the gauntlet for even those in Zanu PF, who have often been followed by speculation about the states of their health.
However, while Tsvangirai’s openness should be applauded, he shall certainly be victim of Zimbabwe’s primitive culture, where instead of being lauded, he shall soon be at the receiving end of stinging criticism from his political opponents.
This disclosure opens him to attack and where other communities would have been empathetic to him, this would be used by people seeking to score cheap political points against the MDC-T leader.
Tsvangirai’s illness should not be used to make triumphalist statements by political enemies, but instead be used as encouragement that revealing an illness by a political leader is not a sign of weakness, but rather of strength, as he has done this in the face of huge adversity.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
In Zimbabwe, the cult of personality is very rife and people seem to believe in the infallibility of their leaders and thus, politicians are never open about their health statuses.
Tsvangirai has set a noble example for which he should not be mocked, but rather praised.
The MDC-T leader, like his deputy, Thokozani Khupe before him, have shown great courage in revealing they have cancer, and in the latter’s case, she has shown the disease can be defeated.
On the other hand, Tsvangirai faces the fight of his political life and he has a delicate balancing act to play if he is to come out tops.
For a long time, vultures have been settling on what they believed was the carcass of MDC-T, but Tsvangirai has managed to keep the party, in spite of several splits, largely intact.
But now that everyone knows he is ailing and has a debilitating condition, a free for all is likely to ensue, which may threaten both the party’s existence and Tsvangirai’s political life.
The MDC-T has to handle this fragile phase, until Tsvangirai is fit enough to give direction, with care as the very existence of the party depends on it.
We wish Tsvangirai well and hope he can defeat the cancer.
