Tamborinyoka insists Chamisa is acting president of MDC-T, statement from Tsvangirai refuting this is fake

Movement for Democratic Change presidential spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka insists that Nelson Chamisa was yesterday appointed acting president of the party and remains so. A statement purported to be from party leader Morgan Tsvangirai refuting this is fake.

He said there was a pattern to the appointments of acting president starting with Thokozani Khupe assuming office in September when Tsvangirai was rushed to hospital in South Africa. This was followed by the appointment of Elias Mudzuri on 5 January, and now Chamisa.

“For the record, I have been communicating the president’s messages for almost a decade,” Tamborinyoka said in a statement.

“He has entrusted me with the position of being his official spokesperson and he has shared with me many confidential matters; some for the press and some not for the press. That has been the nature of our relationship.

“It must be noted that in September 2017, president Tsvangirai left an MDC Alliance workshop in Kadoma and went for treatment in South Africa. He left VP Khupe as acting president and we communicated the same.

“On 5 January 2018, the president appointed vice president Hon. Engineer Elias Mudzuri as acting president and again I communicated the same to everyone.

“On the 7th of February 2018, he appointed Hon Chamisa as acting president. There is a pattern about these appointments because as of now all three of his deputies have acted in his absence.”

Tamborinyoka said a statement purported to be from Tsvangirai nullifying Chamisa’s appointment is fake.

“I also want to place it on record that there is a purported statement from the office of the president that seeks to nullify what the president himself directed that I communicate,” he said.

“For the record, that letter is on a fraudulent letterhead with a scanned signature of the president, which signature is readily available online.

“The office of the president has not released such a letterhead to anyone and the president, who is currently in SA, has not asked for it for him to place his purported letter. In short, the so-called letter is fraudulent and bogus.”

Khupe, one of Tsvangirai’s deputies has disputed the appointment saying she is the rightful holder of that post as she is the only elected vice-president of the party.

Chamisa and Mudzuri were appointed by Tsvangirai.

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