Zimbabweans head to the polls next year to choose a president – but the two leading candidates battle with ill health.
Veteran Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014 was reportedly flown to South Africa on Friday for emergency treatment just a few weeks after his last trip.
Read also Tsvangirai Ends Sick Leave, Jets into Zimbabwe.
In a facebook post his Spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, confirmed saying, ‘’So a man who left walking by himself, who used a public airport and a commercial flight with many other passengers is now reported to have been “airlifted” and is “critically ill?”.
The point here is that Morgan Tsvangirai is back in South Africa seeking medical attention for an ailment which has dogged him since 2014. Tsvangirai’s illness has raised concerns within the opposition ranks, with many officials and critics saying that he should consider stepping down to make way for a younger and fit leader.
Read also Zimbabwe’s Opposition Leader Tsvangirai Takes Medical Leave, VPs Take Over.
President Robert Mugabe, 93, who has ruled the Southern African nation with an ‘’ iron fist’’ for the past three decades battles suspected cancer and vagaries associated with old age. It is becoming increasingly clear that he is gunning for life presidency. All his deputies have died in office including Simon Muzenda and Joshua Nkomo.
Frail Mugabe has on many occasions has struggled to walk and has even fell in public ; in 2015 Mugabe slipped on the red carpet at the Harare International Airport - triggering fears that he may not be fit to run for the top office again.
Apart from the frequent Singapore visits, there have been hints over recent months - and indeed years - that Mugabe’s health is getting shakier. For the first time this year, he was driven into the stadium to give his independence day.
Seriously ill or not, one thing is certain: Mugabe is not getting any younger.
After Birthday, Mugabe Flies to Singapore for Medical Review.
President Mugabe has been accused of seeking medical attention in Asian countries while shunning the local medical facilities. His foreign trips usually gobbles millions of dollars.
With these two (Morgan and Robert ) at the helm of Zimbabwean politics, the country is faced with a crisis of choosing between two equally frightening choices.
