MDC-T in crisis meeting

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
THE MDC-T yesterday held a crisis meeting at the party’s headquarters in Harare to discuss the implications of party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s health ahead of next year’s harmonised elections. Mr Tsvangirai is receiving treatment in South Africa after he was diagnosed of cancer of the colon. The opposition leader has not been performing his official duties for the past three months and was flown back to South Africa last week for the second time in a month after his health deteriorated.

The ailment has seen him getting in and out of hospital; thereby, impeding his ability to effectively lead the party. A source in the MDC-T said the opposition party held a crisis meeting led by vice president Thokozani Khupe to discuss possible implications of the protracted absence of Mr Tsvangirai from office due to ill-health.

“We met as a standing committee crisis meeting yesterday chaired by our vice president Ms Khupe. We were reflecting on how to deal with the absence of our leader, Mr Tsvangirai.

“We also took stock of how much work has suffered owing to his long absence and how that can be mitigated. We then assigned our three vice presidents to look into various facets that threaten the viability of the party,” said the source.

“We were trying to explore ways to cover the gap created by the absence of our leader, considering that we have crucial elections next year. It was really a crisis meeting.”

The other two vice presidents of the MDC-T are Engineer Elias Mudzuri and Advocate Nelson Chamisa. MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu confirmed that there was a meeting that discussed the health of Mr Tsvangirai, among other several issues. He, however, downplayed the issues discussed around Mr Tsvangirai.

“The meeting also noted with satisfaction the fact that president Morgan Tsvangirai continues to recuperate very well and that he will soon be back in office on a full time basis to lead the party machinery as we prepare for the watershed elections to be held in 2018.

“The meeting also took the opportunity to give a thanksgiving prayer to God the Almighty for the wonderful recovery of our leader, president Morgan Tsvangirai,” said Mr Gutu.

He said they also discussed other issues, including Biometric Voter Registration.