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NewsDay

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Tsvangirai returns ahead of busy voter registration mobilisation

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MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai returned home yesterday ahead of a busy schedule on voter registration mobilisation and conclusion of the MDC Alliance talks.

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai returned home yesterday ahead of a busy schedule on voter registration mobilisation and conclusion of the MDC Alliance talks.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Tsvangirai’s arrival time was a closely guarded secret, as the MDC-T did not want journalists to swarm the airport to see his state of health.

The former Premier was airlifted to South Africa after he fell sick at a strategic workshop in Kadoma last month.

He has been recuperating in the neighbouring country after his release from hospital.

MDC-T vice-president Nelson Chamisa confirmed his boss arrived back in the country in the afternoon.

“Yes, he has just landed. We are still at the airport,” he said.

Chamisa also tweeted Tsvangirai’s return on his Twitter handle: “Pres MT back in the country. I’m so happy to welcome President MT at Harare International Airport. The President is jovial and buoyant!”

Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka also confirmed his boss returned home accompanied by his wife Elizabeth.

“President Morgan Tsvangirai touched down this afternoon from South Africa, where he has been receiving routine medical treatment after he went public last year that he was suffering from cancer of the colon,” Tamborinyoka said.

“President Tsvangirai’s arrival has confounded morbid sceptics, some of whom had publicly wished him dead. He returns to take his rightful place in the trenches and to lead a stoic nation that has for years fought for democracy to remove a stubborn and inept government now engaged in a vicious succession struggle at the expense of the challenges facing the people.”

The MDC Alliance negotiations have reportedly stalled because of Tsvangirai’s absence. His return will enable his six other counterparts in the coalition to get down to work ahead of next year’s harmonised elections.

Tsvangirai’s return will also put a lid to the internal rift among his juniors following reports that they were reportedly canvassing for his position.

Yesterday, MDC Alliance spokesperson and Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume described the new Cyber Security, Threat Detection and Mitigation ministry as a sheer waste of resources and time as the country had no mechanisms to police the use of social media.

“It’s very unfortunate that (President Robert) Mugabe has bloated out Cabinet again by creating new ministries to put pressure on a budget they don’t have. It shows their propensity to spend and spend and create useless things in that expenditure, which is very unfortunate,” he said.

“This is an intimidatory tactic to the people of Zimbabwe. For them to be able to monitor WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter among others, they need to pass through certain layers which they will never. They would need co-operation from those companies and smart phone manufacturers which obviously they will not get.

“Dictatorships, like what we have here, will never have support and co-operation from social media companies. That is crazy and if they want to turn Zimbabwe into another North Korea, then they will not succeed at all.”