Former Mugabe rival Morgan Tsvangirai dies at 65

Former Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, a longtime rival of former autocratic leader Robert Mugabe, died Wednesday from colon cancer. He was 65. Tsvangirai, a former labor leader, led the Movement for Democratic Change party for nearly 20 years, challenging Mugabe in elections in 2002 and 2008. In 2008, Tsvangirai won more votes than Mugabe in the first round but withdrew from the runoff after 200 of his supporters had been killed. Tsvangirai became prime minister in a power-sharing deal brokered by South Africa after the disputed 2008 vote, but the agreement limited his ability to oppose Mugabe. Tsvangirai's death came after months of hospitalization in neighboring South Africa, and just three months after Mugabe, who had ruled since independence in 1980, was ousted by the military.

Source: The New York Times

Editor's Note: I know everyone knows this guy, and we've been waiting for news of his death. So, it makes absolute sense that The Week magazine is reporting this in their "10 things you need to know today" newsletter.