Tsvangirai to die within 6 months rumour rubbished

Published: 17 July 2017

Morgan Tsvangirai returned from his routine medical check-up in South Africa yesterday to face debate on whether he, along with his main rival President Robert Mugabe, are fit enough to withstand the rigours of a taxing election campaign that lies ahead.

The MDC leader flew into the country a day after Mugabe had arrived back home from his medical check-up in Singapore.

Tsvangirai had quietly slipped out of the country on July 7, fuelling conjectures that his health could have deteriorated.

After months of speculation over his deteriorating health, Tsvangirai disclosed for the first time in June last year that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the colon and was undergoing treatment in neighbouring South Africa.

Yesterday, his aides dismissed rumours that have been circulating on social media that the former prime minister had been given six months to live.

His spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, said the former trade unionist was going for the jugular as he prepares to take on Mugabe in the keenly-anticipated 2018 elections.

"You know that those rumours are nonsense. These morbid rumour-mongers are alleging on the days in question that he was at a hospital in SA (South Africa) where a doctor told him of his impending death. But any serious person knows Kenya is not SA. Such ill-wishes will not detract the people's president from his mission to liberate Zimbabwe from the clutches of this inept regime," said Tamborinyoka.

With Mugabe having already hit the campaign trail, meeting up thousands of youths around the country, the MDC appears to be lagging behind amid speculation that Tsvangirai was not fit enough to take charge.

MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said the absence of rallies does not mean that the opposition party was dead.

If anything, he said it was an indication that the MDC has changed tact.

"Far from the president being sick, he is now fit enough and can lead rallies even on a weekly basis," said Mwonzora.

"He is not physically infirm, he is actually recovering. It should be noted that the president has vice presidents and other people who can lead the rallies if he is not there," he added.
- dailynews