Zimbabwe's main opposition leader said on Tuesday he has been diagnosed with cancer of the colon and is undergoing treatment in neighbouring South Africa. Morgan Tsvangirai, 64, was Zimbabwe's prime minister in an uneasy coalition government with 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe from 2009 until 2013. Mugabe, who intends to contest the 2018 vote at the age of 94, has denied rigging previous elections. The turmoil within the MDC has been a boost for Mugabe, whose ZANU-PF party has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 amid charges of rigging recent elections. Mugabe routinely denies local media reports that he is suffering from prostate cancer and says his frequent trips to Singapore are for routine medical checks.

Source: The Star June 28, 2016 09:11 UTC