Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has died at the age of 65 in South Africa, a senior official in his MDC party has said.
A former prime minister, Tsvangirai had reportedly been suffering from colon cancer.
"He died this evening. The family communicated this to me," MDC vice president Elias Mudzuri told Reuters.
Tsvangirai's career was marked by a long political struggle against former President Robert Mugabe.
He had been beaten and imprisoned numerous times.
Announcing Tsvangirai's death, Mudzuri said on Twitter that the MDC had "lost our icon and fighter for democracy".
Tsvangirai founded the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) in 2000, repeatedly challenging Mugabe during the ex-president's long grip on power, says a BBC report.
