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Eddie Cross

Takunda Maodza News Editor
MDC-T is in turmoil after one of its senior officials Mr Eddie Cross alleged early this week that Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was seriously ill and “might not handle the election” claims which angered other opposition party politicians who feel he has crossed the red line. Mr Tsvangirai was flown to South Africa last month after he fell ill at a workshop in Kadoma. He has not returned home ever since despite claims by his spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka a fortnight ago that he had fully recovered.

Mr Tsvangirai has since taken an indefinite leave and given the mandate to run the party to his three deputies Mr Nelson Chamisa, Engineer Elias Mudzuri and Dr Thokozani Khupe.

But while the party has kept Mr Tsvangirai’s condition a top secret, Mr Cross let the cat out of its bag when he posted “. . . he is suffering from an aggressive form of colon cancer. He has been struggling with his treatment and the family is concerned that he might not handle the election and subsequently the responsibility of being president of a country in a deep crisis. After a lifetime of principled struggle, to have it all threatened by a disease in your body, is not fair . . . Life can be a bastard at times.”

Mr Cross went on to reveal that Mr Tsvangirai was in financial crisis. Without financial support he has often gone without and has been unable to pay his essential staff who have simply gone on working without pay.” This did not go down well with the party hierarchy which still maintains that Mr Tsvangirai has fully recovered and will soon return home to prepare for next year’s harmonised elections.

“President Tsvangirai has recovered and continues to recover well. We are expecting him in Zimbabwe in the next three to four days,” said MDC-T secretary general Mr Douglas Mwonzora. Mr Mwonzora took a dig at Mr Cross.

“I do know that honourable Eddie Cross has not personally seen the president for a long time and there is absolutely no basis for his conclusions after all he is not a Dr Cross,” he said. Mr Mwonzora also slammed Mr Cross for insinuating that Mr Tsvangirai might be incapacitated to carry on the battle with Zanu-PF.

“We have heard in history presidents and heads of government, who were afflicted by one illness, or the other, but discharged their mandate with exemplary alacrity. The late President Nelson Mandela was one such leader. We are confident that president Tsvangirai will be able to discharge his duties well,” he said.