MDC-T plunged into chaos Mr Morgan Tsvangirai
Mr Morgan Tsvangirai

Mr Morgan Tsvangirai

Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
THE troubled MDC-T has been plunged into further chaos after its leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai returned to South Africa for treatment last week.

Mr Tsvangirai, who is battling cancer of the colon, returned home from South Africa on October 13 after spending almost a month receiving treatment in the neighbouring country.

After his return, Mr Tsvangirai cancelled a meeting of the party’s national standing committee that he was scheduled to chair in Harare on October 16 with insiders raising fears that he was still far from recovery.

The latest trip to South Africa has thrown the party into chaos with Mr Tsvangirai’s lieutenants at each other’s throats over comments made on the MDC-T leader’s health.

MDC-T national executive member Mr Eddie Cross at the weekend told private media that Mr Tsvangirai was in “excruciating pain.”

Mr Cross, who weeks ago expressed fears that Mr Tsvangirai might not be able to contest in the 2018 election as ill-health is taking its toll on the MDC-T leader, said his sources told him that the former Prime Minister’s condition was grave.

However, reacting to Mr Cross’ statements, Mr Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday said the Bulawayo South legislator has neither mandate nor expertise to talk about the issue.

“Honourable Eddie Cross has neither the mandate nor the medical expertise to purport to speak authoritatively and competently about president Tsvangirai’s health,” Mr Tamborinyoka posted on his Facebook wall.

“Those of us who have been in constant interaction with the president are worried stiff about the needless and unnecessary innuendos that are being thrown around concerning his health. There is absolutely no reason for anyone, let alone a senior member of the party citing nameless and ill-informed third parties, to trigger a national alarm not based on objective facts.

“True, like all mortal beings, MT is winding up his health issues and is currently on a short break but he is well out of danger and will be back home soon. I have just spoken to him and he is in fine health. Yes, we are unrepentant democrats; but certainly, indiscipline does not constitute democracy.”

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Cross were fruitless as his mobile phone rang continuously without being answered.

However, in a recent interview with our sister paper The Sunday Mail, he insisted that Mr Tsvangirai could quit politics due to ill health adding he does not fear reprisals from those angry at him for speaking candidly about the leadership question dogging the opposition party.

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