'Stop worrying about my private life,' Tsvangirai tells Mugabe

FORMER prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai has told President Robert Mugabe to stop worrying about his private life and put more energy towards fixing the economy.

Tsvangirai was reacting to Mugabe's statements that he pitied the MDC-T leader because his love scandals were always being splashed in the media.

The 90-year-old told mourners at the burial of national hero Brigadier-General Eliah Bandama last week that men should not be womanisers like Tsvangirai, although he did not refer to him by name.

Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka on Friday said Mugabe appeared more worried about his boss "than an economy plodding towards an implosion".

"The MDC-T president's main worry at the moment is about a nation in crisis and the sooner Mugabe regards the crisis facing the nation as a matter of priority, the better for everyone," he said in a statement.

"Government workers have no pay, the country is facing a serious liquidity crunch, Zimbabwe has an unserviced debt of over $10 billion, but all the president of the country has in his mind is Morgan Tsvangirai."

He said Tsvangirai had spoken about his shortcomings and apologised to "anyone who may have been inconvenienced during his search for a woman to marry after the death of his wife of 31 years".

"Recently, in his 'personal reflections', he made it clear that any perceived errors about him did not constitute the sum total of who he was as a national leader," Tamborinyoka added.

"But facts are stubborn. Whatever Tsvangirai did, he was a widower. He is now happily married to his wife, Elizabeth."

Tamborinyoka said Mugabe had no right to lecture anyone on morals considering his own past.

"This is a man who, as president of the country, had a child with his secretary while his wife, Sally, was dying of a kidney ailment," he said.

"His eldest daughter, Bona, is a child he had with his private secretary while his wife was terminally ill. Zimbabweans are facing a serious national crisis and the least they expect is unnecessary and needless diversions from key issues affecting them.

"Tsvangirai has come clean on his issues and if Mugabe wants a debate on morals, he should start by explaining his relationship with his secretary while his wife was dying."

Mugabe, in an interview with SABC last year, admitted cheating on his late wife Sally with First Lady Grace, who was his secretary.

Tamborinyoka said by attacking Tsvangirai, Mugabe was trying to divert attention from the troubled economy.

"Zimbabweans refuse to be needlessly side-tracked and all the president should do is tell the nation how he is going to solve the multi-layered crisis facing the people of Zimbabwe," he said.

"It is both immoral and unAfrican to attack people at a funeral; a funeral they would not even have attended. Tsvangirai has nothing to hide. He is challenging Mugabe to a public debate on character and good leadership.

"Mugabe's fixation with the MDC-T leader is understandable; he is the man who trounced him in an election and taught him that it is possible to change the fortunes of this country with leaders who love and care for the people."

Tamborinyoka said it was Mugabe, not Tsvangirai, who needed sympathy and prayers.