Tsvangirai, Morgan (1952– )

Zimbabwean trade unionist and politician, leader and founder of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in opposition to the regime of Robert Mugabe. He unsuccessfully contested the presidential elections in 2002 as the MDC candidate. He has been the target of violence and political intimidation and has been charged with treason on three occasions (most lately in 2005).

He was elected to the executive of the National Mine Workers Union before becoming secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) in 1988. In steering the ZCTU away from its political alliance with the ruling ZANU-PF party and organizing strike action, his relationship with the Mugabe government deteriorated. In 1999 he formed and organized the centrist MDC as a broad-based alternative to ZANU-PF and the party won 57 of 150 parliamentary seats at the 2000 elections. In 2002 he contested the presidential elections, but lost to Mugabe after a campaign marred by alleged ballot-rigging and intimidation. In the March 2005 parliamentary elections, the MDC won only 41 seats amid further claims of widespread government fraud. In November 2005 Tsvangirai split the party over his decision to boycott polling for a newly-created senate. He has survived three assassination attempts.

Born in Gutu, central Zimbabwe, he left school as a teenager to help support his large family. In 1974 he started working at a nickel mine in Bindura, rising over ten years to become general foreman and a noted trade union activist.