The doyen of opposition politics and former prime minister of the republic of Zimbabwe Rt.Hon.Morgan Tsvangirai was yesterday diagnosed with cancer of the colon. The former premier broke this news himself and is currently undergoing treatment in the neighboring South Africa.
The Zimbabwean leader, now 64 years old, who was in an uneasy coalition government with the 92-year-old Robert Mugabe from 2009 until 2013, said it was important for national leaders to disclose their health status.
Whereas Morgan Tsvangirai came clean on his health status the incumbent president of Zimbabwe Hon.Robert Mugabe routinely denies local media reports that he is suffering from prostate cancer and says that his frequent trips to Singapore are for routine medical checks.This, however, has not convinced the Zimbabweans and Africa at large and his continuous trips continue to raise eyebrows.
"As a leader and a public figure, I have taken the decision to make public my condition," Tsvangirai said and added 'it is my firm belief that the health of national leaders, including politicians, should not be a subject of national speculation and uncertainty."
In addition, Tsvangirai said that he had an operation last month and that he is currently under chemotherapy treatment. His absence from his country as well as his being a three time loser to president Robert Mugabe has weakened his opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).Morgan Tsvangirai has since 1999 led the MDC party making him Mugabe's political rival for 17 years.His party had mainly been weaken by splits over how to confront Mugabe's ZANU-PF.
The MDC, evicted from the unitary government after its crushing defeat in the 2013 general elections, is split over whether to dump Tsvangirai before the next general election in 2018.However, the MDC chief said that he intends to confront development despite his unfortunate condition.
"I shall confront this development with the determination to overcome it," he noted with a point of finality.
However, critics say that Morgan has been outsmarted by Robert Mugabe, Africa's oldest president. The turmoil with the MDC has been a boost for Mugabe whose ZANU-PF party has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 amid charges of rigging recent elections. Mugabe has since denied rigging previous elections and intends to contest the 2018 vote at age of of ninety four.
Charles Domnic
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