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Morgan Tsvangirai

Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor—
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, down with a yet to be revealed illness, is likely to miss the party’s Bulawayo demonstration today as he is said to be still “recovering” in neighbouring South Africa. In an act of desperation, the party was late yesterday engaged in a road show as a last minute attempt to drum up support for their demonstration. The demonstration comes after a historic Zanu-PF One Million Man March in Harare on Wednesday whose success is reported to have rattled the MDC-T leadership.

MDC-T Bulawayo deputy spokesperson, Felix Magalela Sibanda, yesterday said Tsvangirai’s deputy Thokozani Khupe would stand in for her boss who was recently flown to South Africa for treatment. “He isn’t feeling well though recovering very well so we can’t abuse him, he has to fully recover. Our president works with a team, our vice president (Khupe) will be leading from the front accompanied by members of the national standing committee,” said Sibanda.

However, informed sources within the party said desperate efforts were being made to fly Tsvangirai into Bulawayo this morning. “Tsvangirai is the face of the party and his presence would have a serious impact. Plans are underway for him to fly into the country tomorrow (today) though he won’t be able to march with the party members,” said the source.

“If it happens that Tsvangirai comes, he will play a minimal role in the whole thing because he has not fully recovered.”

The demonstration is the second by the party after the first was held in Harare last month with a handful party supporters taking to the streets and leaving a trail of destruction in the capital.

Sources within the MDC-T Bulawayo structures revealed yesterday that the road show was a last minute effort to boost numbers for the demonstration in a province where the party is reeling under factional fights and widening divisions.

The party has also reportedly acquired transport to bus supporters from Matabeleland North, South and Midlands provinces to give an impression that the party still enjoys a lot of support in Bulawayo.

However, Sibanda yesterday denied the claims saying the demonstration was an entirely provincial function and the party would hold similar initiatives in all the country’s provinces.

MDC-T lost its stranglehold on Bulawayo province after Zanu-PF won back five seats in last June’s by-elections and another in December leaving the two parties with six constituencies each.

On Monday, the Zanu-PF deputy youth league secretary, Cde Kudzanai Chipanga, said the party was not worried by the MDC-T demos as they were no longer a factor in the country’s politics.

“Those MDC-T demos will always be a desperate attempt for relevance. The person fronting those demonstrations is a tried and tested failure so we are really not worried about them as they have no impact at all. The people will be able to see for themselves the numbers,” he said.