Tsvangirai, who died in South Africa, was 65.arguably Zimbabwe’s most popular politician, the mining union leader's career was ultimately defined by his tussles ? both literal and figurative ? with 93?year?old Mugabe, who resigned after a de facto coup in December. Although Tsvangirai suffered serious physical abuse at the hands of security forces, including serious head injuries in police custody in 2007, he went on to form an uneasy working relationship with Mugabe in a 2009?2013 coalition government.