Movement for Democratic Change presidential spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka has confirmed that party leader Morgan Tsvangirai is in hospital in South Africa “for routine medical procedure” but is not critical.
A local paper, Newsday which broke the news, said Tsvangirai was airlifted to South Africa yesterday morning after his health deteriorated drastically.
Tamborinyoka said Tsvangirai was in a stable condition and had even sent a message to Zimbabweans to participate in the current exercise enabling Zimbabweans to get key documents like national identity cards, births and deaths certificates as well as to register as voters.
“President Tsvangirai said he was more worried about the country’s health, urging Zimbabweans to vote wisely next year so as to deal with the multi-layered afflictions of the country’s political economy,” Tamborinyoka said.
“He urged the nation not to panic about his health, saying he will be home soon to play his part in canvassing for massive participation in next year’s watershed polls.”
Agence France Presse quoted an unnamed MDC-T senior official as saying that Tsvangirai was “overwhelmed with work and his health deteriorated”.
Another source told Reuters that Tsvangirai’s sudden illness did not relate to his ongoing cancer treatment.
Tsvangirai was diagnosed with cancer last year.
President Tsvangirai stable, urges nation to register to vote
President Morgan Tsvangirai, who flew to South Africa for a routine medical procedure, is in a very stable condition contrary to morbid media reports that he is critical and is battling for his life.
True to form, the people’s leader is more worried about the plight of Zimbabweans than his own condition. This morning, he was assuring Zimbabweans he will be home soon; urging the nation to co-operate with the on-going nationwide exercise to acquire birth certificates and national registration documents that will enable them to exercise their right to vote.
He urged Zimbabweans to turn out for voter registration in their multitudes so as to deal with the multiple cancers afflicting the nation that include corruption and a clueless leadership that is concentrating on succession battles at the expense of the plight of the ordinary people.
In his usual light-hearted manner, President Tsvangirai said he was more worried about the country’s health, urging Zimbabweans to vote wisely next year so as to deal with the multi-layered afflictions of the country’s political economy.
He urged the nation not to panic about his health, saying he will be home soon to play his part in canvassing for massive participation in next year’s watershed polls.
Luke Tamborinyoka
Presidential Spokesperson and Director of Communications
Movement for democratic Change