Zimbabwe opposition risks split after leader’s death

“It is myself and no one else,” Mudzuri told South African television. “People must respect authority as given by my president and make sure they work towards… winning the 2018 elections.”

In turn, Chamisa has called for the party to unite and be disciplined.

Chamisa is thought to have the largest number of supporters. Many analysts tip him to emerge as the MDC’s next leader and say he could manage to head off a permanent split.

– Opposing Mugabe –

The MDC once posed a formidable challenge to ZANU-PF, even winning the first round of a presidential election in 2008 vote.

Tsvangirai then pulled out of the run-off after a wave of deadly violence unleashed by Mugabe supporters, and the MDC entered into a troubled coalition government.

Under relentless pressure from Mugabe’s regime — and the threat of intimidation and violence — the MDC have suffered major splits since Tsvangirai founded the party in 1999.

But Tsvangirai last year reunited with his former allies Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube, who both left Tsvangirai’s wing of the party, to run together in the 2019 elections.

Now the party could struggle to launch a credible election challenge to ZANU-PF, which is often accused of decades of brutal repression and overseeing the collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy.

“These games are being played during this dark period of mourning. I see a weaker opposition and a weaker MDC,” Eldred Masunungure, a political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe, told AFP.

Tsvangirai’s body is expected to return to Harare this weekend, ahead of his funeral next week.