President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday mourned the death of opposition political leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, saying he would be accorded a state assisted burial while lauding him as a fearless fighter for the rights of workers and democracy in his later life as a politician.
Tsvangirai, 65, succumbed to cancer of the colon on Wednesday after a two year battle with the disease.
Affectionately referred to by his followers as Save, his totem, Tsvangirai had been leader of the biggest opposition party in Zimbabwe, the Movement for Democratic Change since its formation in 1999.
Tsvangirai battled it out with former President Robert Mugabe in three election cycles in his bid to become the President of Zimbabwe.
He failed to dislodge the veteran leader and his Zanu PF party, but came close in 2008, after winning the first round of the Presidential election, but withdrew from the second round citing violence against his supporters.
The dispute resulted in the Southern African Development Community intervening and negotiating a settlement which led to formation of a coalition government in which Tsvangirai he made Prime Minister.
Before his demise, the MDC Alliance had already chosen him as its presidential candidate for general elections due by mid-year.
President Mnangagwa said the government was still consulting on ways to assist the Tsvangirai family to accord the veteran politician a “befitting honour.”
“A strong trade unionist and opposition leader, the late Tsvangirai will be remembered especially for his readiness to stretch and reach out across the political divide for a government of national unity after the polarizing 2008 elections,” President Mnangagwa said.
“Both in and after the government of national unity, he remained a national figure who obdurately insisted on free, fair, credible and non-violent elections as a way of strengthening our democracy and overall re-engagement with the rest of the world.”
He said the government would strive to honour the late MDC leader by holding free, fair, credible and violence free elections this year.
“This we owe him as political leaders of all contesting parties in our country which deserves unfettered peace and stability,” he said.
Meanwhile, other world leaders also joined Zimbabweans in mourning the passing of Tsvangirai, describing him as a great fighter for multi-party democracy, peace and justice.
British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson said Tsvangirai was not only brave but “represented courage and determination in the face of oppression, and gave ordinary Zimbabweans faith to believe in the future.”
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, his rival Raila Odinga, a close colleague of the late MDC leader, the Economic Freedom Front of South Africa also joined the long list of individuals and parties who mourned the passing on of Tsvangirai.