Tsvangirai death rumour, a hoax

There is a fake rumour circulating on social media claiming that the leader of the MDC-T Morgan Tsvangirai who was airlifted to South Africa on Friday as he fell seriously ill is dead but officials from the party in Harare have vehemently dismised the claim as unfounded.

One story on the social media reads that "Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai dies today following his critical condition in the South African hospital, a senior party official told local media Sunday.'

The story claims that the information was released by a party member.

"Sadly I can confirm our leader is gone, his memories still live with us" a senior official from Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) told the local media, speaking on condition of anonymity."

Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai's spokesman, earlier disputed what he termed "morbid media reports that he was critical and is battling for his life", insisting he had gone to South Africa for a routine medical procedure and "is in a very stable condition."

Tamborinyoka did not mention what actually killed the former prime minister in his press statement conducted soon after Tsvangirai's death spread like wild fire. Tsvangirai, 65, announced last year he had been diagnosed with cancer of the colon and had begun chemotherapy.

News Day independent daily earlier reported Tsvangirai was airlifted to South Africa early Friday morning after he fell ill.

"He was on oxygen and drip and had been vomiting heavily," the paper said. An autopsy is yet to be conducted to ascertain the root cause, doctors have said.

Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was a Zimbabwean politician who was the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013.

He was President of the Movement for Democratic Change. Tsvangirai was a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. May his soul rest in perfect peace.