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Tsvangirai turns tables on Mugabe
 
By Our Correspondent
 
MHONDORO, March 13, 2008 (thezimbabwetimes.com) - MDC president, Morgan Tsvangirai had thousands of supporters in stitches on Wednesday when he turned the tables on President Mugabe who routinely dismisses him as “just a tea-boy”.
 
“Now that tea boy is about to deliver tea with plenty of cream to the people of Zimbabwe,” he said amid applause.
 
A crowd estimated to number more than 6,000 gathered in rural Ngezi Wednesday to attend a rally addressed main opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Widespread violence in the run-up to previous elections has prevented the opposition from organising rallies in the rural areas
 
Tsvangirai told the rally that victory was certain for his opposition MDC party in the March 29 general election, despite the hype surrounding Simba Makoni, Makoni launched his presidential campaign last week, two months before the elections. Tsvangirai said Makoni was the leader of a Zanu-PF faction.
 
In a 40-minute address, Tsvangirai said Mugabe was desperate to undermine the bid by the opposition leader for the presidency by lavelling him as a puppet of Great Britain.
 
“There are those who have been pay attention to those who paint a nightmarish image of me as tea-boy,” Tsvangirai said. “Now that tea boy is about to deliver tea with plenty of cream to the people of Zimbabwe,”
 
The rally was peaceful and completely without incident. Ruling Zanu-PF party officials handed out bags of mealie meal close to the MDC rally, But this did not deter the thousands from attending the MDC rally.
 
“We will have plenty of maize after our president (Tsvangirai) wins,” said one middle aged woman who wore MDC regalia.
MDC officials had earlier called on party supporters to respect the activities being organised by Zanu-PF in the same location.
 
The organisers of the MDC rally estimated attendance at 8 000, but independent estimates put the figure at just over 6,000, which was still a large turnout for a rural rally. Supporters said they had never seen such a large crowd an Ngezi.
 
Tsvangirai said if elected his government would focus on key priority areas such as health, food, and creation of jobs.
 
He closed his speech with an appeal for the creation of an atmosphere of love and unity,  and less of the mudslinging which has characterised much of the election campaigning.
 
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