centre-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The c ...

House of Assembly of Zimbabwe The National Assembly of Zimbabwe, previously the House of Assembly until 2013, is the lower house of the Parliament of Zimbabwe. It was established upon Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 as one of two chambers of parliament. Between the abolition ...

Movement for Democratic Change Movement for Democratic Change or MDC may refer to: * Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC–T), the former main opposition party in Zimbabwe ** Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai Congress 2006, the second MDC–T congres ...

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube The Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube (MDC–N) was a Zimbabwean political party led by politician and attorney Welshman Ncube. It was founded in 2005 when the Movement for Democratic Change split apart and in the 2008 general el ...

Welshman Ncube Welshman Ncube (born 7 July 1961) is a Zimbabwean lawyer, businessman and politician. He is the founding MDC leader and former President of Zimbabwean political party Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube. He currently serves within the Ci ...

opposition party Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...

Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Moza ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions is the primary trade union federation in Zimbabwe. The Secretary General of ZCTU is Japhet Moyo and the president is Peter Mutasa. The former General Secretary was Morgan Tsvangirai. Jeffrey Mutandare is ...

Morgan Tsvangirai Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (; ; 10 March 1952 – 14 February 2018) was a Zimbabwean politician who was Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He was President of the Movement for Democratic Change, and later the Movement for Democratic ...

Arthur Mutambara Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara (born 25 May 1966)
New Zimbabwe is a 2006 Congress,

Thokozani Khuphe Thokozani Khupe (born 18 November 1963) is a Zimbabwean politician, trade unionist and the President of the MDC-T breakaway faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). She was Deputy Prime Minister 2009–13. Following the death of par ...

was elected for vice-president replacing

Gibson Sibanda Gibson Jama Sibanda (1944 – 24 August 2010) was a Zimbabwean politician and trade unionist. He was a founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change and at the time of his death was the Vice-President of the faction of the Movement for Demo ...

who was now part of MDC-M. The two factions subsequently won a combined majority in the March 2008 parliamentary election.

Developments in 2007

On 3 August 2007 it was widely reported that two officials of the smaller Arthur Mutambara-led MDC formation had defected to the main Tsvangirai-led Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe formation, a week after talks to reunite the two parties had broken down. At a media briefing, former Member of Parliament Silas Mangono and

Masvingo Masvingo is a city in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The city is situated close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name and close to Lake Mutirikwi, its recreational park, th ...

Province chairman Shaky Matake announced that they had defected from the Mutambara-led formation. An opinion poll on 27 September 2007 by the Mass Public Opinion Institute of Zimbabwe found that of the 22% of poll respondents who are supporters of the MDC, 21% backed the main MDC formation led Tsvangirai and 1% expressed support for the smaller Mutambara's faction. The poll takers acknowledged the survey was conducted mainly in the rural areas, traditionally a ZANU–PF stronghold, because the majority of the population lives there. It polled 1,202 of eligible voters.

Political negotiations

The

Southern African Development Community The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security coopera ...

(SADC) mandated

South African President The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president heads the executive branch of the Government of South Africa and is the commander-in-chief of the South African Natio ...

Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...

to mediate between ZANU-PF and the MDC in April 2007 to create conditions for free and fair elections for the 2008 polls. Mbeki appointed

Sydney Mufamadi Fholisani Sydney Mufamadi (born 28 February 1959) is a South African politician. He was Minister of Safety and Security from 1994 to 1999 and Minister of Provincial and Local Government from 1999 to 2008. Early life Mufamadi was born on 28 Feb ...

, South Africa's Minister of Provincial and Local Government, and director-general in the presidency,

Frank Chikane Frank Chikane (born 3 January 1951 in Bushbuckridge, Transvaal) is a South African civil servant, writer and cleric. He is a member of the African National Congress and moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs for th ...

, as the main mediators in the talks. All parties agreed to refrain from commenting on the progress of the talks in the media. Due to the media silence, it is relatively difficult to judge the progress of these talks, but both parties have agreed to constitutional amendments and the revision of certain key media and security laws. The MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai threatened to pull out of the talks if the conditions were not created in which free and fair elections can take place. In July and August 2008, the MDC and ZANU–PF entered into negotiations to settle electoral disputes and to reach a compromise. The talks were both mediated by the South African president,

Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...

.

SADC Facilitated Government Power-Sharing Agreement

On 15 September 2008, the leaders of the 14-member

Southern African Development Community The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security coopera ...

witnessed the signing of the power-sharing agreement, brokered by Mbeki. At the Rainbow Towers hotel in

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

, Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed the deal to resolve the crisis. According to the deal, Mugabe will remain president, Tsvangirai will become prime minister, the MDC will control the police, Mugabe's ZANU–PF party will command the Army, and Mutambara will become deputy prime minister. Tendai Biti was confirmed as the Finance Minister in the GNU and sworn in on Wednesday 11 November 2009.

2014 purported suspension of Tsvangirai and other leaders

After months of in-fighting following Tsvangirai's 2013 presidential bid, a group of party officials purported to suspend Tsvangirai for "remarkable failure of leadership," during a meeting of the National Council. Tsvangirai was accused of creating a divisive atmosphere within the party. Six other leaders were suspended at the same time, furthering the political split within the MDC. Douglas Mwonzora, a spokesperson for the party and one of the suspended leaders, accused former Finance Minister and MDC general secretary

Tendai Biti Tendai Laxton Biti (born 6 August 1966) is a Zimbabwean politician who served as Finance Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He is the current Member of Parliament for Harare East Constituency and the second Vice President of Citizens Coa ...

of helping Mugabe oust Tsvangirai. Tendai Biti and others involved in the incident went on to form the MDC-Renewal which became the

People's Democratic Party (Zimbabwe) The People's Democratic Party (PDP) was a political party in Zimbabwe. It was launched in September 2015 after a faction broke away from the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai. At their breakaway in 2014 they initially called themselv ...

.

2018–2022 splits

The MDC-T survived to see Mugabe removed from office in November 2017, but Tsvangirai was afflicted by colon cancer and died on 14 February 2018.

Nelson Chamisa Nelson Chamisa (born 2 February 1978) is a Zimbabwean politician and the current President of the Citizens Coalition For Change. He served as Member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for Kuwadzana East, Harare. Chamisa was the MDC Allianc ...

became acting president of the party and contested as the party's presidential candidate in the 2018 Zimbabwean general election under the

MDC Alliance The Movement for Democratic Change Alliance was an electoral coalition of seven political parties formed to contest Zimbabwe's 2018 general election. After the 2018 election, a dispute arose over the use of the name MDC Alliance leading the MDC ...

electoral pact. On 22 April 2018,

Thokozani Khuphe Thokozani Khupe (born 18 November 1963) is a Zimbabwean politician, trade unionist and the President of the MDC-T breakaway faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). She was Deputy Prime Minister 2009–13. Following the death of par ...

was elected unopposed as the President of her MDC-T faction at an extraordinary congress in

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council cl ...

. After the election, the three member parties who were splinters of the original MDC (MDC-T, MDC-N and PDP) reunited to form a single political party under the name MDC-Alliance. Nelson Chamisa was elected president of the party at the MDC Congress held in May 2019. Then on 28 May 2020, the court ruled that MDC-A is a party. In April 2020, Khupe is recognized as MDC-T by Supreme Court. In December 2020 Khupe was removed from the position of party president by Douglas Mwonzora amid strong claims of violence and cheating from her fans. In September 2021, Douglas Mwonzora took over of MDC Alliance. In January 2022, Chamisa founded the Citizens Coalition For Change (CCC). He is backed by

Welshman Ncube Welshman Ncube (born 7 July 1961) is a Zimbabwean lawyer, businessman and politician. He is the founding MDC leader and former President of Zimbabwean political party Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube. He currently serves within the Ci ...

and

Tendai Biti Tendai Laxton Biti (born 6 August 1966) is a Zimbabwean politician who served as Finance Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He is the current Member of Parliament for Harare East Constituency and the second Vice President of Citizens Coa ...

. In March, Khuphe urged Zimbabweans to vote for the CCC in that month's by-election.

Political performance

Tsvangirai and Mutambara failed to unite on a single MDC candidate for the March 2008 presidential election. Tsvangirai ran for president while Mutambara backed the independent candidacy of

Simba Makoni Simba is a fictional character and the protagonist of Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. Introduced in the 1994 film ''The Lion King'', Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature, the character subsequently appears in '' The Lion King II ...

. In the election, Tsvangirai won 47.9% of the vote according to

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is an independent Chapter 12 institution established in terms of Section 238 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe; which is responsible for the management and administration of Zimbabwe's electoral processes. It was ...

results, ahead of Mugabe's 43.2%, necessitating a run-off because neither candidate won a majority. However, Tsvangirai claimed to have won a narrow first-round majority on 50.3% based on the mandatory posting of votes counted at polling booths. In the simultaneous

parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

, both factions contested most seats, with the Tsvangirai faction winning 99 and the Mutambara faction 10, compared with 97 for Zanu PF, 1 independent, leaving 3 vacancies caused by deaths of candidates. On 28 April 2008, the two factions of the MDC announced that they were reuniting, thus enabling them to have a clear parliamentary majority but without a formal merger between the factions. International media reported that MDC members and supporters, including prominent activist

Tonderai Ndira Tonderai Ndira (1975/1976 – May 2008) was a Zimbabwe and a Movement for Democratic Change party member murdered in May 2008. Ndira lived in the township of Mabvuku and Tafara, east of the capital, Harare, and was a "prominent activist" membe ...

who was murdered in May, were subjected to arrests, beatings and killings during the campaign period for the second round of the election. On 22 June 2008, Tsvangirai announced at a press conference that he was withdrawing from the run-off against Mugabe, due to be held on 27 June, 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".Angus Shaw
"Zimbabwe opposition leader pulling out of election"
Associated Press, 22 June 2008.

Notable party members

*

Morgan Tsvangirai Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (; ; 10 March 1952 – 14 February 2018) was a Zimbabwean politician who was Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He was President of the Movement for Democratic Change, and later the Movement for Democratic ...

, former President of the Movement for Democratic Change, who died in February 2018 of colon cancer. *

Thokozani Khuphe Thokozani Khupe (born 18 November 1963) is a Zimbabwean politician, trade unionist and the President of the MDC-T breakaway faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). She was Deputy Prime Minister 2009–13. Following the death of par ...

, Former Deputy Prime Minister, vice-president and Member of Parliament for Makokoba * Douglas Mwonzora, Secretary-General *

Lovemore Moyo Lovemore Moyo (born 29 January 1965) is a Zimbabwean politician who was Speaker of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe from 2008 to 2013. He was the National Chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC-T) party led by Morg ...

, National Chairman and Speaker of House of Assembly; Member of Parliament for Matobo North *

Nelson Chamisa Nelson Chamisa (born 2 February 1978) is a Zimbabwean politician and the current President of the Citizens Coalition For Change. He served as Member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for Kuwadzana East, Harare. Chamisa was the MDC Allianc ...

, Acting President of the party; Former Minister of Communications; Member of Parliament for Kuwadzana Central *

Elias Mudzuri Elias Mudzuri is a Zimbabwean engineer and politician. Mudzuri was elected to a four-year term as Mayor of Harare, a city of 1.8 million, in March 2002. He was Acting president of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T). Trained in Sierre Leone as ...

, Organising Secretary; Former Minister of Public Works; Member of Parliament for Warren Park and former Executive Mayor of

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

*

Eddie Cross Edward Graham "Eddie" Cross (born 1940), a Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South, is a Zimbabwean economist and founder member of the mainstream Movement for Democratic Change party led by Nelson Chamisa. He is currently the Policy Coordinat ...

, MDC Policy Coordinator General and Member of Parliament for

Bulawayo South Bulawayo South is a parliamentary constituency of the Zimbabwean National Assembly of Zimbabwe, National Assembly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The current member of the House of Assembly for Bulawayo South is Raj Modi, a member of ZANU–PF. Notable form ...

* Roy Bennett, MDC Treasurer-General and Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, who died in January 2018 in a helicopter crash * Thamsanqa Mahlangu, MDC National Youth chairman; Former Deputy Minister of Employment Creation Gender & Youth Affairs & Member of Parliament for Nkulumane * Felix Magalela Mafa Sibanda, MDC Provincial Spokesperson and Member of Parliament for Magwegwe

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council cl ...

* David Anthony Chimhini, Founding member of MDC, first MDC National Administrator at its foundation in 1999 and MP for Mutasa North * Kahondo C Tinotenda, Former Secretary General of The MDC National Youth Assembly, Director of the Zimbabwe Informal Sector Organisation

Electoral history

Presidential elections

House of Assembly elections

Senate elections

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai 2005 establishments in Zimbabwe 2008 Zimbabwean general election Former member parties of the Socialist International Left-wing nationalist parties

Tsvangirai Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (; ; 10 March 1952 – 14 February 2018) was a Zimbabwean politician who was Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He was President of the Movement for Democratic Change, and later the Movement for Democratic C ...

Pan-Africanism in Zimbabwe Pan-Africanist political parties in Africa Political parties established in 2005 Political parties in Zimbabwe Social democratic parties in Africa Socialist parties in Zimbabwe Zimbabwean democracy movements

History

Foundation

Developments in 2007

Political negotiations

SADC Facilitated Government Power-Sharing Agreement

2014 purported suspension of Tsvangirai and other leaders

2018–2022 splits

Political performance

Notable party members

Electoral history

Presidential elections

House of Assembly elections

Senate elections

See also

References