MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai returned home yesterday
ahead of a busy schedule on voter registration mobilisation and conclusion of
the MDC Alliance talks.
Tsvangirai’s arrival time was a closely guarded secret, as
the MDC-T did not want journalists to swarm the airport to see his state of
health.
The former Premier was airlifted to South Africa after he
fell sick at a strategic workshop in Kadoma last month.
He has been recuperating in the neighbouring country after
his release from hospital.
MDC-T vice-president Nelson Chamisa confirmed his boss
arrived back in the country in the afternoon.
“Yes, he has just landed. We are still at the airport,” he
said.
Chamisa also tweeted Tsvangirai’s return on his Twitter
handle: “Pres MT back in the country. I’m so happy to welcome President MT at
Harare International Airport. The President is jovial and buoyant!”
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka also confirmed
his boss returned home accompanied by his wife Elizabeth.
“President Morgan Tsvangirai touched down this afternoon
from South Africa, where he has been receiving routine medical treatment after
he went public last year that he was suffering from cancer of the colon,”
Tamborinyoka said.
“President Tsvangirai’s arrival has confounded morbid
sceptics, some of whom had publicly wished him dead. He returns to take his
rightful place in the trenches and to lead a stoic nation that has for years
fought for democracy to remove a stubborn and inept government now engaged in a
vicious succession struggle at the expense of the challenges facing the
people.”
The MDC Alliance negotiations have reportedly stalled
because of Tsvangirai’s absence. His return will enable his six other
counterparts in the coalition to get down to work ahead of next year’s
harmonised elections.
Tsvangirai’s return will also put a lid to the internal
rift among his juniors following reports that they were reportedly canvassing
for his position.
Yesterday, MDC Alliance spokesperson and Transform Zimbabwe
leader Jacob Ngarivhume described the new Cyber Security, Threat Detection and
Mitigation ministry as a sheer waste of resources and time as the country had
no mechanisms to police the use of social media.
“It’s very unfortunate that (President Robert) Mugabe has
bloated out Cabinet again by creating new ministries to put pressure on a
budget they don’t have. It shows their propensity to spend and spend and create
useless things in that expenditure, which is very unfortunate,” he said.
“This is an intimidatory tactic to the people of Zimbabwe.
For them to be able to monitor WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter among others, they
need to pass through certain layers which they will never. They would need co-operation
from those companies and smart phone manufacturers which obviously they will
not get.
“Dictatorships, like what we have here, will never have
support and co-operation from social media companies. That is crazy and if they
want to turn Zimbabwe into another North Korea, then they will not succeed at
all.” newsday
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