Morgan Tsvangirai, a former labour leader and prime minister of Zimbabwe died on Wednesday night. He was 65.
Elias Mudzuri, the vice president of Mr. Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change, confirmed the death. The cause was colon cancer, for which Mr. Tsvangirai had been hospitalized in South Africa for months.
He died less than three months after his longtime nemesis, Robert Mugabe, was ousted by the military last November as part of a struggle within the governing party, ZANU-PF.
For almost 20 years, Mr. Tsvangirai headed the Movement for Democratic Change, a party founded in 1999 to capitalize on the growing unpopularity of the autocratic Mr. Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe from its independence in 1980.
Tsvangirai was one of the first big-name politicians to stand up to now ousted Robert Mugabe. He dominated the fractured opposition in Zimbabwe until his death.
He first ran for president in 2002, before shocking the political establishment by winning the first round of the now controversial 2008 election. The violence that followed this vote led to the creation of a government of national unity. Tsvangirai served as Prime Minister in this government.
It is unclear who will succeed him as president of the MDC-T and the MDC Alliance
Even as he fell ill with cancer, however, Mr. Tsvangirai failed to groom a successor, and he has left behind a fractured party with no obvious leader to challenge the current President Mr. Mnangagwa in the elections expected this year.
Well, he ran his race. Rest well
I have friends in Zimbabwe and I have been there before but I have never heard of this man.
Who was he in landscape of political influence in Zimbabwe ?
That’s right nothing.
Never a good thing when someone loses a life. My condolences to his family and anyone affected by this
Thanks
BB2014,2016
HH has been appointed to take over from Morgan so that he can try his lucky of winning a landslide presidential election after losing an umpteenth time in Zambia.
MISRIP ,
Outplayed , dribbled and outlived by Mugabe….
Sounds like you are describing HH
Mistake number 1,he dined and slept with the devil, he should have not taken that carrot(prime minister) bait from Bob.
In African culture it’s taboo to tease the dead. Lack of respect.
very sad; condolences to his family;
MHSRIP
Sad he failed to groom a successor – a weakness in African leaders of all shades, govt or opposition.
The last time I checked Tilyenji Kaunda was still UNIP President just for the sake of it.
HH should also start grooming up someone within his ranks because no one knows the time when we shall die but only God does
especially that hh will never be president of this republic.
Rest he in peace gallant warrior Morgan Tsvangirai 1952-2018.
Hechi Hechi and Raila Odinga too haven’t groomed any successors.
Sorry baba grooming a successor in democratic political parties doesn’t mean finger pointing someone, it’s about setting up a system in your party that people have to follow and adhere to once a leader leaves, it not like bu chief or king, this why in one political party there was fists of fury and two presidents popped up, it had to take the court to help them out.
You @Fwanya and Mzambia wa Zamani; you’re real blind PF cadres; HH has GBM and others and GBM is capable of running this country than your corrupt Lungu who has become rich overnight;
Are you sure the Garry Nkombos of this world would accept GBM as successor to HH? I strongly don’t it.
Are you sure the Garry Nkombos of this world would accept GBM as successor to HH? I strongly doubt it!
Farewell Tsvangirai. Rest in peace. You fought a good fight. You did it for your people, not for yourself
Good man! RIP and long live Zimbabwe!
HIV is dangerous.
Polonium 210.
Good news for Zimbabwe. Mow Mnagagwa can concentrate on the economy and not dog fights with a white ass licker.
Never say Never one day you will swallow your words, when HH is on the Helm. Who knew our great Hero Sata was going to rule the same you prophets of doom said ” Sata will never ever rule Zambia. Shame on you
Wrong time to die, but it’s not up to us to choose the time. MHRIP
Groom a successor? Why? We like be is a democratic world and politics if succession should be for chiefdoms. Its the MDC members who have the responsibility of electing a successor not an individual…
The good about death is that its probably the only time all the sins and hypocricy of mankind comes to the fore. if u dont hear it in what they say u certainly see it in their solemnity. mhsrip
Condolences to the family.