The MDC has reacted angrily to threats by a State media columnist who said yesterday that popular opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was only being saved from harm by the “grace” of President Robert Mugabe.
Speaking to the Daily News after reading the controversial column, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka described Zanu PF as an “evil” party — adding that yesterday’s threat should be viewed as part of the ruling party’s ongoing “dastardly” plots against the former prime minister in the government of national unity.

This comes as Tsvangirai is on the cusp of wrapping up an electoral pact with smaller opposition parties, which analysts say could finally see both Mugabe and Zanu PF defeated in the eagerly-awaited 2018 polls.

Tamborinyoka said the MDC viewed the threats against Tsvangirai very seriously, especially considering the “many previous attempts” on the life of the former labour union leader by Zanu PF.

Reacting to Tsvangirai’s comments which were carried by the Daily News in its Friday edition, a shadowy columnist in the Sunday Mail — who writes under the inappropriate pseudonym of Bishop Lazarus — made ominous threats against the MDC leader.

“A few days ago, Morgan said something to the effect that; ‘You will be safe under me.’ Morgan was trying to give assurance to President Mugabe and security chiefs that they would be safe under his rule. Unonyatsoona kuti munhu haasi kunzwa zvakanaka (One can see that he is not well).

“Instead of hallucinating, Morgan should know that the real question is: ‘Is Morgan safe going into the future?’ True, there are some people who really love Morgan, but there are many who are really angry with the man. They whisper in the dark saying; ‘This man brought us all these troubles and if it wasn’t for President Mugabe…

“What is unfortunate for Morgan is that those who love him are so insignificant in the scheme of political things yet those who are angry with him have the capacity to do anything they want with him. I mean anything. So the question going into the future is; ‘Is Morgan going to be safe?

“The answer may be found in history. Just check what happened to that sell-out Morris Nyathi after the attainment of independence,” the vituperative Bishop Lazarus wrote.

Tamborinyoka told the Daily News yesterday that they were aware that Zanu PF always wanted Tsvangirai dead.

“But he will only die when he achieves God’s purpose, even though we are aware that Zanu PF wants Tsvangirai dead.

“Tsvangirai’s life has always been under threat from Zanu PF. There have been many assassination plots. He was also brutally attacked in a police station and lost his wife (in suspicious circumstances) but his source of protection is God.

“The whim of human wishes will always falter on the anvil of God’s grace. Whatever attempts on Tsvangirai they scheme will always fail as long as God is willing to protect him,” Tamborinyoka thundered.

Speaking in Harare on Thursday, after holding a crucial meeting with the MDC national executive, Tsvangirai said Mugabe and top securocrats had nothing to fear as he would give them immunity from prosecution when he forms the country’s next government.

“I have a message to those who have in the past resisted change and who remain keen to subvert the people’s will because of their uncertainty due to the prospect of political change in the country.

“I wish to assure everyone that there is nothing to fear in the change that we seek. We have no intention to engage in retribution, and we are only driven by the genuine patriotic spirit to ensure peace, stability and growth.