Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (English IPA: /ˈtʃæŋgəˈraɪ/; Shona IPA: [ts͡ɸaŋgiˈra.i]), born March 10, 1952) is a trade unionist, human rights activist, and President of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the majority^[1] party in Zimbabwe, and a key person in the opposition to Zimababwe's president, Robert Mugabe. He was defeated by President Robert Mugabe in the controversial 2002 presidential election. He contested the first round of the 2008 presidential election, taking 47.8% of the valid votes tally, placing him first ahead of Mugabe who got 43.2%. This was below the outright majority required by Zimbabwean law. Tsvangirai's MDC party claimed that, from their own tallies, they had got the required majority, and charged that the actual results may have been altered in the month between the election and the reporting of official results.^[2] Tsvangirai initially planned to contest the second round against Mugabe, but withdrew shortly before the election, arguing the election would not be free and fair due to widespread violence and intimidation by government supporters.

Early life

Tsvangirai was born in the Gutu area in then-Southern Rhodesia, the eldest of nine children and the son of a carpenter and bricklayer. After leaving school early, in 1974 he started working for the Trojan Nickel Mine in Mashonaland Central. He spent ten years at the mine, rising from plant operator to general foreman. His current rural home is Buhera, which is 220 km south east of Harare.

Political activism

At independence in 1980 Morgan Tsvangirai, then aged 28, joined the then popular and victorious Zanu-PF party led by the man who was later to become his biggest political rival, Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai is reported to have been an ardent Mugabe supporter and to have risen "swiftly in the hierarchy"^[3], eventually becoming one of the party's senior officials^[4]. He is otherwise better known for his role in the Zimbabwean trade union movement, where he held the position of branch chairman of the Associated Mine Workers' Union and was later elected into the executive of the National Mine Workers' Union, and in 1989 he became the Secretary-General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the umbrella trade union organisation in the country.

Tsvangirai led the ZCTU away from its alliance with the ruling Zanu PF. As his power and that of the movement grew, his relationship with the Government deteriorated. He has been a victim of premeditated and government-inspired harassment and violence, including three assassination attempts^[5], which include the 1997 attempt, where unknown assailants burst into his tenth storey office and tried to throw him out of the window.

Criticism of Operation Gukurahundi

Three years after Zimbabwe won independence, Robert Mugabe ordered the Fifth Brigade, a military unit specially trained by North Korea, into a massacre in Matabeleland in cohorts with the Minister of Defence Enos Nkala, led by Air Marshal Perence Shiri because of suspicion of an alleged counter-revolution being planned by Joshua Nkomo. The operation was code named Gukurahundi. Morgan Tsvangirai, who at the time was a Zanu-PF official, claims that he questioned the motive of the massacre with the ZANU PF leadership in 1984^[6]. Tsvangirai has periodically toured the mass graves of the victims in Tsholotsho, Kezi, Lupane, Nkayi and other places in rural Matabeleland. Addressing villagers in Maphisa in 2001 he said:

National Constitutional Assembly

Morgan Tsvangirai served as Chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) in 1997, which was formed as a grouping of individual Zimbabwean citizens and civic organisations including, labour movements, student and youth groups, women's groups, churches, business groups and human rights organisations. These individuals and groups formed the NCA to campaign for constitutional reform after realising that the political, social and economic problems affecting Zimbabwe were mainly a result of the defective Lancaster House constitution and can only be resolved through a new and democratic constitution. He stepped down after being elected president of the MDC.^[9]

The SOLIDAR Silver Rose Award

In 2001 Morgan Tsvangirai was awarded the prestigious 2001 Solidar Silver Rose Award. The award was for outstanding achievement by an individual or organisation in the activities of civil society and in bringing about a fairer and more just society.

At a crucial period for world stability, the Solidar Silver Rose Award winners “show the positive change that can be brought about by determined individuals and organisations”, the citation read.^[10]

Movement for Democratic Change

In 1999 Tsvangirai founded and organised the Movement for Democratic Change, an opposition party opposed to Mugabe's rule, and helped bring about the unexpected triumph in defeating the 2000 constitution referendum, on which Morgan Tsvangirai alongside the National Constitutional Assembly campaigned successfully for the "NO" vote against Robert Mugabe's government-led Constitution Referendum, February 12 and 13, 2000.

Tsvangirai lost the March, 2002 presidential election to Robert Mugabe of the ruling Zanu-PF party. The election provoked widespread allegations that Mugabe had rigged the election through the use of violence, media bias, and manipulation of the voters' roll leading to abnormally high pro-Mugabe turnout in some areas.

Arrests and political intimidation

October 2000 arrest

Tsvangirai was arrested after the government alleged that he had threatened President Robert Mugabe. The Movement for Democratic Change leader had told 40,000 supporters at a rally in Harare that if Mr Mugabe did not want to step down before the next elections scheduled for 2002 "we will remove you violently." However, Tsvangirai said that he was giving a warning to President Mugabe to consider history. "There is a long line of dictators who have refused to go peacefully — and the people have removed them violently," he said.

June 2003 arrest

In May, 2003 Tsvangirai was arrested on a Friday afternoon shortly after giving a press conference, the government alleged he had incited violence. In the press conference he had said:

March 2007 arrest and beating

On March 11, 2007 a day after his 55th birthday, Tsvangirai was arrested on his way to a prayer rally in the Harare township of Highfield.^[15]

His wife was allowed to see him in prison, after which she reported that he had been heavily tortured by police, resulting in deep gashes on his head and a badly swollen eye.^[16] The event garnered an international outcry and was considered particularly brutal and extreme.

"He was in bad shape, he was swollen very badly. He was bandaged on the head. You couldn't distinguish between the head and the face and he could not see properly," Innocent Chagonda, an attorney, told Reuters after visiting a Harare police station where Tsvangirai was being held.^[18]

A Zimbabwean freelance cameraman, Edward Chikombo, smuggled television pictures of the badly injured Morgan Tsvangirai, opposition leader, out of the country following the beating.

Chikombo was later abducted from his home in the Glenview township outside Harare. His body was discovered on the weekend near the village of Darwendale, 50 miles west of Harare.

This has been part of a pattern of abductions and punishment beatings that has become a terrifying nightly ritual in Zimbabwe, where scores of opposition activists and their relatives have been attacked by government-sanctioned gangs using unmarked cars and police-issue weapons.^[19]

According to lawyer Tendai Biti, the Secretary-General of the MDC and an MP for Harare East, who was arrested along with Tsvangirai, Tsvangirai suffered a cracked skull and "must have passed out at least three times." Tsvangirai was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a local hospital.^[20] Reports from BBC News indicate that Tsvangirai suffered from a fractured skull and received blood transfusions for internal bleeding. Although the incident was a clear case of political violence ordered by Robert Mugabe, Tsvangirai has since had very little political support from surrounding African countries.^[21]

Raid at MDC headquarters

Tsvangirai was released, but on March 28, 2007, Zimbabwean police stormed the Movement for Democratic Change, 44 Harvest House, national headquarters and once again arrested him, hours before he was to speak with the media about recent political violence in the country.^[22]

International reaction to political violence

The arrest of Tsvangirai and a crackdown on opposition officials that followed was widely condemned.

Australia — Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement that the Zimbabwe government should immediately release those arrested, lift the ban on political activity and implement immediate reforms. The statement takes direct aim at the policies of President Mugabe, stating that:

Canada — On March 12, 2007, Foreign Minister Peter MacKay issued a statement condemning the violence in Zimbabwe and simultaneously calling for the release of all arrested.^[24]

Ireland — In a statement, Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern condemned the actions of the Zimbabwe authorities and called on that country's government to immediately cease all such activities and to adopt a new policy of dialogue and engagement with the outside world.^[25]

New Zealand — Foreign Minister Winston Peters called for the immediate release of Tsvangirai and his colleagues.^[27]

USA — The United States considered further sanctions against the leadership of Zimbabwe following the event.^[31]

Tsvangirai's bodyguard killed

On 25 October 2007 it was reported that Nhamo Musekiwa who was Morgan Tsvangirai's bodyguard since the formation of the MDC in 1999, had died from complications resulting from injuries sustained in March, 2007, during a crackdown by the government. The MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Musekiwa had been vomiting blood since March 11, 2007, when he is alleged to have been severely beaten by police along with other opposition officials and members including Tsvangirai himself. That day police halted a prayer meeting and in the ensuing confrontation one MDC activist was shot dead. ^[32]

Assassination plot delays homecoming

Tsvangirai delayed his return to Zimbabwe after his party uncovered an assassination plot against him. He was due to arrive in Harare on Saturday, 17th May, 2008, but a party spokesman said he was staying in Europe after a credible plot was discovered. On Friday, 16th May, 2008, he held a press conference at the Europa Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland.^[33]^[34]

June 2008 arrest

Morgan Tsvangirai was detained by police while campaigning on Wednesday, 4 June 2008, after being stopped at a police roadblock. Tsvangirai and a group of 14 party officials were then held at a police station in Lupane. This is claimed by Tsvangirai and widely believed by human rights groups as a tactic to disrupt his campaigning ahead of the June 27 elections.^[35] Tsvangirai was accused by police of threatening public security by addressing a gathering without prior authorisation. His detention was vigorously protested by the United States and various European governments. He was released without charge after eight hours, after which Tsvangirai commented that this was "nothing but the usual harassment which is totally unnecessary." The police also confiscated one of the security vehicles in the entourage. During this time, Mugabe was in Rome at a conference on food security.^[36] However, chief police spokesperson of Zimbabwe Wayne Bvudzijena said Tsvangirai's convoy was stopped because one of the vehicles did not have proper registration. The driver of the said vehicle was asked to accompany the police to the station, but others in the party insisted on following the driver to the station.^[37] This was followed soon after by the brief detention of diplomats from the United States and United Kingdom.

On June 6, 2008 he was again stopped at a police checkpoint and blocked from attending a pre-election rally at How Mine, near the southern city of Bulawayo. According to the chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change, Lovemore Moyo, the police told them that they should have informed them in advance that Tsvangirai was visiting the area.^[38]

International discussions

Meeting with John Howard

Tsvangirai meets Mbeki over Zimbabwe crisis

In September 2007, it was widely reported that Tsvangirai met Thabo Mbeki, the President of South Africa for crucial talks on how to speed up talks between the ruling ZANU PF and the Movement for Democratic Change party. ^[41]

Tsvangirai meets Odinga over Zimbabwe crisis

2008 election

According to data collected (photographed) at the close of each polling station, the MDC collated the data for electoral results. The evidence is held by them electronically. Whenever this kind of information is collected by the MDC, the government regularly raids their offices, hoping to confiscate the data, which is kept abroad. A short time after the election, the Government ordered weapons of war from China, to be transported through South Africa.^[46] The official results of the presidential elections' first round were finally released on May 2, 2008 and hotly contested by the MDC representatives. According to the results released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Tsvangirai won the first round, amassing 47.9% of the votes against 43.2% claimed by Mugabe.^[47] This means that no candidate has the necessary 50% plus one vote to be declared the winner after the first round and a run-off will be needed. MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa called the announced results "scandalous daylight robbery." The MDC continues to assert that it won an outright victory in the first round with 50.3% of the votes.^[48].

Tsvangirai, who was outside of Zimbabwe, primarily in South Africa, for a significant period following the first round of the election, announced on May 10 that he would participate in a presidential run-off with Mugabe. Tsvangirai said that this second round should take place within the three week period following the announcement of results that is specified by the Electoral Act. He made his participation conditional on "unfettered access of all international observers," the "reconstitution" of the Electoral Commission, and free access for the media, including the international press.^[49]

On 13 May 2008, Tsvangirai stated that he would be willing to compete in the run-off if at least SADC election observers would be present, softening his previous demand for free access to all international observers.^[50] It was subsequently announced that the second round would be held on June 27th; the MDC denounced this delay.^[51]

Although Tsvangirai had been expected to return to Zimbabwe on May 17, the MDC announced on that day that his return had been delayed due to information the party had received regarding a claimed plot to assassinate him.^[52] The party subsequently claimed that military intelligence was in charge of this alleged plot, while the government dismissed the MDC's claims, saying that Tsvangirai was "playing to the international media gallery."^[53] Some observers suggested at this time that Tsvangirai's failure to return called into his question his leadership qualities and made it appear that he was afraid of Mugabe and unwilling to risk coming to harm despite the risks taken by his supporters remaining in Zimbabwe.^[54]

Tsvangirai gave what he described as a state of the nation address to the newly elected MDC MPs on May 30. On this occasion, he said that Zimbabwe was in "a state of despair" and was "an unmitigated embarrassment to the African continent" due to its economic situation, and he also said that those engaging in political violence would receive no amnesty from his government.^[56]^[57] He also described the MDC as "the new ruling party" and said that the MDC's legislative programme would be "based on the return of fundamental freedoms to the people of Zimbabwe." A new "people-driven constitution" would follow within 18 months, according to Tsvangirai, and a "truth and justice commission" would be established; the army would "defend our borders, not attack our people," while the prisons would "hold only criminals, not innocent people." He pledged that the party would introduce a new strategy combining "demand and supply-side measures" to bring inflation under control. Tsvangirai also promised the revival of agriculture, saying that the issue would be "completely depoliticised" and that there would be measures to "compensate or reintegrate" farmers who lost their land as part of land reform.^[57]

The government has said that a victory for Tsvangirai would be disastrous and "destabilising."^[58]

Tsvangirai was detained near Lupane on June 4, along with his security team and other top MDC officials, such as MDC Vice-President Thokozani Khupe and MDC Chairman Lovemore Moyo. A lawyer for the MDC said that Tsvangirai was alleged to have addressed a rally near Lupane without permission.^[59] His vehicle was stopped by police at a roadblock and his motorcade was searched; after two hours, he was taken to a police station. The MDC described this as "part of a determined and well-orchestrated effort to derail our campaign programme," while the US government called the incident "deeply disturbing" and the German government demanded his release. Tsvangirai was released later on the same day^[60] after nine hours. Bvudzijena, the police spokesman, rejected any suggestion that the police were trying to interfere in Tsvangirai's campaign; he explained the detention by saying that the police had wanted to determine whether a vehicle in Tsvangirai's motorcade had valid registration. According to Bvudzijena, the police had wanted to take only the driver of this vehicle to the police station to review the relevant documents, but that Tsvangirai and the rest of his entourage insisted on coming as well.^[61]

On June 22, 2008, Tsvangirai announced at a press conference that he was withdrawing from the run-off, describing it as a "violent sham" and saying that his supporters risked being killed if they voted for him. He vowed that the MDC would ultimately prevail and that its victory could "only be delayed."^[62]. Shortly after making this announcement, Mr Tsvangirai sought refuge at the Dutch Embassy in Harare, citing concerns for his safety. He did not seek political asylum.^[63]

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