Morgan Tsvangirai : Ask Biography

Personal data

Date of birth

10 March 1952(age 64)

Place of birth

Gutu, Southern Rhodesia

Political party

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (1980 � 1999)
Movement for Democratic Change (1999 � )
Movement for Democratic Change � Tsvangirai (2005 � present)

Spouse

Susan Tsvangirai (1978 � 2009; deceased)

Children

Residence

Avondale, Zimbabwe

Profession

Trade unionist

Religion

Christianity

Prime Minister of Zimbabwe

Assumed office

11 February 2009

President

Robert Mugabe

Deputy

Thokozani Khuphe
Arthur Mutambara

Preceded by

Position re-established*

President of the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai

Assumed office

31 March 2005

Preceded by

Position established

President of the Movement for Democratic Change

In office

31 September 1999 - 31 March 2010 (re-elected)

Succeeded by

Position abolished

Preceded by

Gibson Sibanda

Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions

In office

10 May 1987 - 31 September 1999

Succeeded by

Wellington Chibebe

Preceded by

Masotsha Ndhlovu

Home | Office Holder | Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (-enˈtʃæŋɡɪraɪ, -snts͎aŋɡira.iShona languageShona:; born 10 March 1952) is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009. He sustained non-life threatening injuries in a car crash on 6 March 2009 when heading towards his rural home in Buhera. His wife, Susan Tsvangirai, was killed in the head-on collision.

Tsvangirai was the MDC candidate in the controversial 2002 presidential election, losing to Mugabe. He later contested the first round of the 2008 presidential election as the MDC-T candidate, taking 47.8% of the vote according to official results, placing him ahead of Mugabe, who got 43.2%. Tsvangirai claimed to have won a majority and said that the results could have been altered in the month between the election and the reporting of official results. Tsvangirai initially planned to run in the second round against Mugabe, but withdrew shortly before it was held, arguing that the election would not be free and fair due to widespread violence and intimidation by government supporters.