On this day in 1939, the late Zimbabwean politician Dumiso Dabengwa was born in Bulawayo. He served as the head of Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) intelligence during the Rhodesian Bush War. In 1982 he was charged for perdifying his country and was set free in 1983 due to lack of clear evidence. From 1992 to 2000 he served as the Minister of home affairs. He ran as a ZANU-public finance candidate for a seat in the House of Assembly from Nkulumane in the 2000 election but was defeated by Movement for Democratic Change. In 2013, he was a candidate for ZAPU election.
On this day in 1952, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was born in Buhera, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Tsvangirai was a Zimbabwean politician who the Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) in 1999 and served as the country’s Prime Minister from 2009 to 2013. He died in 2018 at the age of 65.
On this day in 1974, politician Learnmore Jongwe was born in Zhombe, Zimbabwe. Jongwe joined politics in the late 1990s, at the first MDC congress he was elected as the first Party Spokesperson in 1999. It is alleged, Jongwe murdered his wife in 2002 after finding her in bed with another man. He died of food poisoning in October 2002 while in prison.
On this day in 1999, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party was founded by its leader Morgan Tsvangirai (late). The party was the first movement to go against the superiority of the ruling ZANU-PF. On formation it was mainly composed of trade unionists, church leaders and church leaders.
On this day in 2000, inaugural Congress of the Movement for Democratic Change was held, in Chitungwiza. It was aimed at providing a standing constitution. The Movement for Democratic Change adopted, amended the name, its headquarters of the party, legal status, aims, values, objectives and culture of the MDC.
On this day in 2002, presidential elections in Zimbabwe organized for three days began. The elections were contested by five political parties with ZANU-PF led by Robert Mugabe and MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai as the major parties.
On this day in 2002, MDC Supporter Titus Nheya was stabbed to death in Karoi at the age of 56 by ZANU-PF youth. The incident was reported to the Police officers by the Movement for Democratic Change members but no publicly known investigations were made.
On this day in 2007, Gift Tandare a member and activist of the MDC party was shot dead by the Zimbabwe police at a rally in Harare.
On this day in 2007, advocate Nelson Chamisa then MDC spokesperson was brutally assaulted by unknown men at the Harare International Airport (now Robert Gabriel Mugabe international Airport) as he was on his way to Belgium for a meeting. Chamisa sustained head injuries, his personal belongings were taken.
On this day in 2008, ZANU-PF supporters attacked a man in Mudzi Village for voting against their political party. ZANU-PF ward chairperson told the man that it was not lawful for the entire village to vote for the opposition party, that is, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
On this day in 2008, a 26 year old man who lived in Mudzi, Mashonaland East asserted that 30 ZANU-PF youth and war veterens sorrounded his house around mid-night and beat him. The reason behind was that he was accused of being a sell-out and a member of opposition party, that is, Movement for Democratic Change.
On this day in 2008, independent journalist Frank Chikowore was arrested. The police changed his charges from practicing journalism without accreditation to public violence, claiming that he was among those MDC activist who had burnt a bus on the same day.
On this day in 2008, policeman community officer from Makoni North, Manicaland was abducted. The man was tortured at Dzete base where he was beated and asked to whome he votes to. Having given his response, he was ordered to give names to all polling agents of MDC. The situation forced him to flee to Harare after he was released the following day.
On this day in 2008, soldiers assaulted MDC MP and Chitungwiza Residents Association Arthur Taderera. Taderera was severely beated and tortured for supporting opposition political party, Movement for Democratic Change.
On this day in 2005, In Harare, 40 armed police officers raided Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) headquarters. Almost 250 were arrested and some were even accused for fueling the attacks on ZANU-PF members
On this day in 2008, ZEC announced poll results after a month’s delay. Results stated that, the late former President of MDC Morgan Tsvangirai had won 47.9% whereas the late former President of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe with 43.2%. Both political parties failed to reach 50 plus votes which resulted in the setting up for new dates to vote again.
On this day in 2008, three MDC activists were heavily assaulted and beaten to death by ZANU-PF supporters and war veterans.
On this day in 2008, abducted MDC members bodies were founded in a river. The victims were discovered but unfortunately their tongues and lips were cut off.
On this day in 2008, Tonderai Ndira’s MDC activist body was discovered at Parirenyatwa mortuary hospital. According to relatives he was abducted on 14 May by armed man and some police officers.
On this day in 2008, Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) agents abducted the losing senatorial MDC candidate in Mashonaland East. Two days later, his dead body was discovered at Goromonzi mountains.
On this day in 2009, the Movement for Democratic Change party leader Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was sworn in as the country’s prime minister by president Robert Mugabe. Mugabe and Tsvangirai set their differences aside and signed a power sharing deal (Government of National Unity-GNU) the previous year.Two deputy prime ministers Thokozani Khupe and Arthur Mutambara were also inaugurated.
Zimbabwe’s longtime opposition party leader and former Prime Minister Richard Morgan Tsvangirai died on this day in 2018. Tsvangirai succumbed to colon cancer in Johannesburg. Tsvangirai was the president of the MDC-T party at the time of his death, which he co-founded as Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999.
On this day in 2018, the Movement for Democratic Change party national council assigned the post of president to Nelson Chamisa for a period of 12 months following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai who was the founder and party president.
On this day in 2019, Zimbabwean Politician and vice-chairperson of the opposition MDC party Job Sikhala was arrested and charged with treason. He was charged for trying to overthrow the government of Zimbabwe. He also pointed out at a rally that he wanted to topple the President from his office before his next election.
On this day in 2020, Douglas Mwonzora was declared as political party leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) after Thokozani khupe had resigned from office.