Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka today said a facebook page allegedly for Elizabeth Macheka Tsvangirai, the MDC-T leader’s wife since September 2012, is a hoax as she is not on facebook.
The page which carries a picture of Tsvangirai and Elizabeth already has more than 14 000 likes.
It is not clear why the MDC-T took so long to discover the hoax as the earliest posting on the page dates back to August 2013, about a year after Elizabeth married Tsvangirai under customary law.
Tamborinyoka’s statement seems to have been sparked by a posting on 13 August about the “thieves club”.
The post claims secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and party treasurer Theresa Makone were at each other’s throats following a trip to London in which Mwonzora is reported to have gone on a shopping spree while his colleague had no cash.
“If the recent trip to the UK is anything to go by it has fermented divisions in the already fractitious opposition party,” the post says.
“Information reaching us is that MDCT Mwonzora and Treasurer Makone are at loggerheads over the recent funds raised at a dinner dance in the UK. Mwonzora who amassed extra funds at a lecture where he was charging 10 pound entry fee is said to have gone on a shopping spree that left Makone awe struck after having been cozy with each other the whole journey.
“In a bid not to be outdone a belligerent Makone demanded control of the funds a move that was vehemently opposed by Mwonzora. The two are alleged to have sat separately on the plane and never spoke on their way back. Makone is said to be planning a purge aiming at Mwonzora who is already scandal ridden and faces a litany of criminal charges some of which are still pending in the courts.”
In his statement today, Tamborinyoka said: “We wish to place it on record that the page is fraudulent as Mai Tsvangirai is not on facebook. Someone is maliciously trying to abuse the name of the wife of the MDC leader by posting purported internal party information.
“For example, only today, the hoax page posted false and malicious information intended to damage the image and standing of MDC Treasurer-general, Mrs Theresa Makone. Even under normal and ordinary circumstances, Mai Tsvangirai has nothing to do with MDC administration and can never purport to have any internal party information on anything of the party, let alone finance issues.”
Full statement:
Thursday, 20 August 2015
Hoax facebook page for Elizabeth Tsvangirai
We note with concern the creation of hoax facebook page under the name of Elizabeth Macheka Tsvangirai.
We wish to place it on record that the page is fraudulent as Mai Tsvangirai is not on facebook. Someone is maliciously trying to abuse the name of the wife of the MDC leader by posting purported internal party information.
For example, only today, the hoax page posted false and malicious information intended to damage the image and standing of MDC Treasurer-general, Mrs Theresa Makone. Even under normal and ordinary circumstances, Mai Tsvangirai has nothing to do with MDC administration and can never purport to have any internal party information on anything of the party, let alone finance issues.
This notice serves to inform that the Elizabeth Macheka Tsvangirai page is not official and we are trying pursuing all options to determine the fraudster who is defaming people using the Tsvangirai name.
Luke Tamborinyoka
Presidential Spokesperson and Director of Communications
Movement for Democratic Change
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