He later contested the first round of the 2008 Zimbawean presidential election as the MDC-T candidate, taking 47.8% of the vote according to official results, placing him ahead of Mugabe, who received 43.2%.

[2] 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 that led to the deaths of 200 people.

After leaving school with 8 Ordinary levels, in April 1972 he landed his first job as a trainee weaver for Elastics & Tapes textile factory in Mutare.

In 1974 an old school mate from Silveira encouraged Morgan to apply for an advertised job as an apprentice for Anglo America's Bindura's Nickel Mine in Mashonaland Central.

A year later, his love life made headlines again after a 23-year-old woman bore him a child and he refused to support the baby until she threatened to take him to court.

[15][16] Three years after coming to power, Robert Mugabe ordered the 5th Brigade, a military unit specially trained by North Korea, to commit a massacre in Matabeleland in co-operation with the Minister of Defence Enos Nkala, led by Air Marshal Perrance Shiri because of suspicion of an alleged counter-revolution being planned by Joshua Nkomo.

Serving with Tsvangirai in the Task Force were activists that included Lovemore Madhuku, Welshman Ncube, Everjoice Win, Brian Kagoro, Tendai Biti and Priscilla Misihairabwi.

The election was flawed due to rigged, the use of violence, media bias, and manipulation of the voters' roll leading to abnormally high pro-Mugabe turnout in some areas.

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."

[27] 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.

He was allegedly tortured by a Special Forces of Zimbabwe unit based at the army's Cranborne Barracks on 12 March 2007 after being arrested and held at Machipisa Police Station in the Highfield suburb of Harare.

There has been a pattern of abductions and punishment beatings where scores of opposition activists and their relatives have been attacked by government-sanctioned gangs using unmarked cars and police-issue weapons.

[33] Tsvangirai was released, but on 28 March 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.

The Mugabe Government's disastrous policies have crippled a once thriving economy, leaving Zimbabweans enduring hyper-inflation at over 1,600%, over 80% of the population unemployed and living below the poverty line and with the lowest life expectancy of any country in the world.

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

[36] Ireland—In a statement, Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern condemned the actions of the Zimbabwean 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.

[43] 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 11 March 2007, when he is alleged to have been severely beaten, along with other opposition officials and members, including Tsvangirai himself, by the police.

[44] Tsvangirai was due to arrive in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Saturday, 17 May 2008, but a party spokesman said he was staying in Europe after a credible assassination plot was discovered.

[54] The Attorney General set up a team of lawyers to investigate whether Tsvangirai may be charged with conspiracy or treason after the United States diplomatic cables leak was published.

"[58][59] In August 2007, Tsvangirai met Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Melbourne, and after talks told the media that countries like Australia could play a very important role in the struggle against President Robert Mugabe's regime.

[68] Tsvangirai, who was outside of Zimbabwe, primarily in South Africa, for a significant period following the first round of the election, announced on 10 May that he would participate in a presidential run-off with Mugabe.

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.

[83] On 22 July 2008, Tsvangirai and Mutambara met Mugabe face-to-face and shook hands with him for the first time in over a decade for negotiations in Harare, orchestrated by Mbeki, aiming for a settlement of electoral disputes that would share power between the MDC and the ZANU-PF at the executive level.

The media images of hands being shaken between the political rivals also set a stark contrast to the ongoing partisan violence taking place in both the rural and urban areas of Zimbabwe.

At the end of the fourth day of negotiations, South African President and mediator to Zimbabwe, Thabo Mbeki, announced in Harare that Mugabe of Zanu-PF, Arthur Mutambara of MDC and Tsvangirai finally signed the power-sharing agreement – a "memorandum of understanding".

But Jendayi E. Frazer, the American Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, said: "We don't know what's on the table, and it's hard to rally for an agreement when no one knows the details or even the broad outlines.

With symbolic handshake and warm smiles at the Rainbow Towers hotel, in Harare, Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed the deal to end the violent political crisis.

[105][106][107] The events were commonly seen as testament to the strained atmosphere shrouding the party in the days leading up to Tsvangirai's death with the leaders closest to him jockeying to succeed him.

[109] Morgan Tsvangirai (Prime Minister) Arthur Mutambara / Thokozani Khuphe (Deputy Prime Ministers) Tendai Biti (Finance) Elphas Mukonoweshuro ( Public Service) Henry Dzinotyiwei (Science and Technology Development) Elton Mangoma (Economic Planning and Investment Promotion) Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (Regional Integration and International Cooperation) Giles Mutsekwa / Kembo Mohadi (Home Affairs) Henry Madzorera (Health and Child Welfare) David Coltart (Education, Sport and Culture) Eric Matinenga (Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs) Olivia Muchena (Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Emmerson Mnangagwa (Defence) Saviour Kasukuwere (Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment) Ignatius Chombo (Local Government and Urban Development) Patrick Chinamasa (Justice ) Joseph Made (Agriculture) Herbert Murerwa (Lands and Land Resettlement) Francis Nhema (Environment) Walter Mzembi (Tourism) Nicholas Goche (Transport) Obert Mpofu (Mines and Mining Development) Samuel Sipepa Nkomo (State Enterprise and Parastatals) Nelson Chamisa (Information and Communications Technology) Welshman Ncube (Industry and Commerce) Theresa Makoni (Public Works) Fidelis Mhashu (National Housing and Social Amenities) Elias Mudzuri (Energy and Power Development) Joel Gabuza (Water Resources and Development Paurine Mpariwa (Labour and Social Welfare Simbarashe Mumbengegwi (Foreign Affairs) Webster Shamu (Information and Publicity) Stan Mudenge (Higher and Tertiary Education)