/ 2 November 2011

Tsvangirai: Mugabe must loosen his grip

Tsvangirai: Mugabe Must Loosen His Grip

President Robert Mugabe should consider stepping down as old age and health worries catch up with the 87-year-old Zimbabwean leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on Wednesday during a press conference.

“The question of age is catching up, the question of health is catching up. I am sure that advisably he would be in a position for the sake of the country, for the sake of his legacy, for the sake of his children to consider stepping down,” Tsvangirai told a news conference.

The comments were the clearest public indication yet that Mugabe’s health is failing amid reports that the liberation leader is suffering from prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of his body.

Mugabe returned on Sunday from a private visit to Singapore — the latest in what has become an almost monthly journey.

The president, who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980, has brushed off speculation about his health.

“As you can see, this Mugabe is fit,” he told state media upon his return on Sunday.

Violence on the rise
Tsvangirai declined to discuss what ailment afflicted Mugabe.

“He is not certainly suffering from malaria,” Tsvangirai said, because the disease common in Zimbabwe can be treated “at the nearest hospital”.

Tsvangirai also defended the expense of shuttling Mugabe to Asia for health care.

“The responsibility of the state is to look after its leaders. If the president is sick he should be attended to,” Tsvangirai said.

Tsvangirai also said political violence was on the rise and Mugabe supporters and state security agents were to blame.

“It appears the demons of violence are back, a siege mood seems to be slowly gripping the country,” Tsvangirai said.

On Tuesday, anti-riot police sealed the offices of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), firing tear gas into the building and at bystanders in central Harare.

“The state security agents have instituted a coup over the civilian authority and they are now above the law to the extent of disrupting government programmes and assaulting civilians with impunity,” Tsvangirai said.

Provocation
Incidents of political violence decreased after Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a unity government more than two years ago following a disputed election in 2008 but talk of a possible election next year has reignited tensions.

Police have in the past few weeks disrupted Tsvangirai’s rallies in the western Matabeleland region where the MDC won the majority of parliamentary seats in 2008.

On Saturday, militants from Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party disrupted an MDC rally organised by a minister jointly responsible for police affairs. Zanu-PF denies engaging in violence and instead accuses MDC supporters of provoking its supporters.

“The violence we are witnessing is state-sponsored and state-driven. It is being championed by a few fascist leaders who want to reverse the little progress we have made,” Tsvangirai said.

“The country is at a high risk of imploding if some in the leadership continue to be privately abetting lawlessness while publicly preaching non-violence.”

Tsvangirai said Mugabe had assured him during a weekly meeting on Tuesday that the issue of violence would be dealt with. He gave no further details.

In September, Mugabe called for an end to violence in a speech to Parliament. While the 87-year-old leader was speaking, Zanu-PF supporters attacked MDC activists outside. — Sapa-AFP, Reuters