The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) says party leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has cancer, is not stepping down.
In a statement, acting party president, Elias Mudzuri, dismissed reports that Tsvangirai is thinking of relinquishing the MDC-T presidential post due to his seemingly deteriorating health condition.
“Contrary to recent press reports that suggested that President Tsvangirai will soon be stepping down from the leadership of the party, the fact of the matter is that President Tsvangirai remains the leader of the MDC and he is the MDC Presidential candidate for the 2018 elections.
“We are pleased to note that President Morgan Tsvangirai continues to recover very well whilst resting at home and that he was due to leave the country for South Africa later on Tuesday afternoon for his routine medical check-up.”
Tsvangirai beat former president Robert Mugabe in the 2008 presidential poll but failed to garner enough votes to form a government.
His party is already preparing for the crucial elections to be held sometime this year.
According to Mudzuri, the MDC-T the party will be rolling out a program of action that includes rallies and other public meetings ahead of the elections.
He said, “All members of the national standing committee and other senior party leaders will be deployed to various provinces in order to spearhead the party’s election campaign. The MDC will continue to lobby ZEC and other relevant stakeholders to make sure that conditions for a free and fair election are put in place as a matter of extreme urgency.
“The MDC candidate selection process will be completed within the next few weeks and all party cadres are being urged to remain united as we enter the homestretch in our democratic struggle to establish a new and progressive nation state in Zimbabwe. It is also heartening to note that party leaders are already on the ground mobilising the structures to participate in the last phase of the BVR exercise. At the end of the day, it is our intention to ensure that every eligible Zimbabwean is registered to vote before the BVR (biometric voter registration) exercise is concluded.”
