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Harare Bureau
MDC – T leader Morgan Tsvangirai is seriously ill and yesterday failed to show up at a rally he was expected to address at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Harare. The crowd endured more than four hours waiting for Tsvangirai, who failed to turn up and had to be addressed by the acting secretary general Tapiwa Mashakada.
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, told journalists on the sidelines of the rally that his boss was not feeling well.
Although Tamborinyoka refused to divulge the nature of the ailment, speculation was rife that Tsvangirai was allegedly suffering from a critical ailment after he missed another rally held in Glen View last week. “All what I can tell you at the moment is that we have received a message from the president’s doctor that he cannot come,” he said.
“He (Tsvangirai) needs to rest. It is important for his health that he rests and that he should not come here.
“I think you must understand the delicacy of the moment. It is a health issue. The doctor says he must rest.”
MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, received some brickbats from the angry mob when he tried to explain Tsvangirai’s absence.
“Vamwe vanenge vachitambudzika nekugumbuka asi ngatiratidzei ruremekedzo kuna president wedu nekuti vanenge vane nhume yavatuma,” said Chamisa.
“Kana maona zvadai zvinoreva kuti pane zvinenge zvamanikidzira zvakakosha. We do not organise disappointments but when extenuating circumstances are so contrary to our wishes there is nothing we can do.”
He said MDC-T supporters should not panic because Tsvangirai was in a stable condition.
The mob could not stomach this and started to disperse in different directions and in the end Mashakada addressed a handful of supporters.
The supposed star rally to mark Africa Day was reduced to an ordinary meeting after MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe and national chairman Lovemore Moyo also failed to attend.
Also absent was deputy chairman, Morgan Komichi and women’s assembly chairperson Theresa Makone.
Chamisa who appeared to have been angered by Sekai Holland’s remarks last week that she was forced to read a wrong press statement frogmarched some members of the guardian council that attended the meeting to give solidarity messages praising Tsvangirai.
Online Reporter