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Mabasa Sasa and Takunda Maodza Harare Bureau
A TOP-END private hospital yesterday filed a police complaint after the embattled MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai sneaked out of the institution in the morning without paying a $2,600 bill.
A hospital official said they had also been struggling to get another senior MDC-T official (name given) to pay bills dating back to the time of the inclusive government.

Skint Tsvangirai — who missed two rallies recently due to failing health — was discharged from Trauma Centre and Hospital in Harare at around 10AM yesterday and was asked to pay slightly over $2,600 before leaving.

But hospital authorities said a nurse helped him escape via the laundry room, which is near the high-care unit that he was admitted to.
The nurse was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing.

Tsvangirai’s sudden appearance in the laundry room caught staff by surprise and he reportedly breezed past them, exited to the car park where a “getaway” vehicle was idling, and sped off before anyone could react.

A report was made at Avondale Police Station.
After hours of trying to plead with the hospital to withdraw the charges, party official Theresa Makone paid the bill. The police complaint was then withdrawn.

An MDC-T official who went to the hospital upon Tsvangirai’s discharge said they had failed to put together the money, and then tried to get hold of former Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda to come to their rescue.

“Masunda was not reachable and somebody suggested that we sneak out and then pay the money later,” the MDC-T official said.
A hospital official told our Harare Bureau: “He (Tsvangirai) was admitted on Saturday into the general wards, and on Sunday we moved him to the high-care unit. We were treating him for poisoning.

“We discharged him (yesterday) morning but him and his people couldn’t pay the bill. They called someone who they said was from their treasurer’s office and she told us that they had no money but would pay later.

“While we were negotiating with her, Tsvangirai and some of his people slipped out through the laundry room. It was an escape, he ran away without paying.

“We have a VIP entrance but he didn’t use it. He ran away through the laundry room. So we made a police report.”
When our news crew arrived at the hospital, three police officers were speaking to staff and inspecting the laundry room and narrow passageway through which Tsvangirai fled.

“We’re having serious problems with these MDC guys,” the official went on, asking not to be named as she was not cleared to talk to the media. “We’re now going to be strict with them when it comes to payment. (Another senior official) still owes us from the times we treated him when he was a minister. He also owes us.”

Trauma Centre owner Dr Vivek Solanki refused to comment, citing doctor-patient confidentiality.
Tsvangirai is understood to have fallen on hard times financially in the wake of donor flight that followed his crushing loss to President Mugabe in last year’s elections.

Tsvangirai’s estranged wife, Elizabeth Macheka, was last night believed to be returning to the matrimonial home to nurse her ailing hubby.

“Relatives engaged her, saying it would not look good for her to continue staying away from home when her husband is unwell,” one Tsvangirai relative said. “She took the advice and is on her way to their Highlands home as we speak. She has been visiting her husband in hospital as well and this helped him recover.”

It is believed that when Macheka left home, she took a substantial amount of money in cash that Tsvangirai kept.
Not too long ago, Tsvangirai was able to splash cash on a jet-set lifestyle that saw him take ocean cruises with some of his many lovers.
He paid off one of them, Lorcadia Karimatsenga Tembo, with a reported $300,000 to end their very brief marriage so that he could hook up with Macheka.

Tsvangirai has also been selling off cattle from a section of Gabbari Farm, 33KM outside Kwekwe towards Nkayi, that he rents from Farai Mwazha.

Earlier this year, a farm hand — Elliot Siwela — said about a year ago, there were 400 beasts on the farm, but the herd had been depleted to less than 90, with 100 sold in January and February.

Tsvangirai is in a major battle for the leadership of the party after secretary general Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma purportedly sidelined him accusing him of lacking strategy, running violent gangs and dictatorial tendencies.

Mangoma and Biti’s faction reportedly has the backing of Western embassies in Harare, the financial mainstay of the MDC-T.
Tsvangirai recently launched a fundraising campaign asking members to contribute $5 each for party programmes — but the campaign has not been successful.