Tsvangirai signs a multi-million rand deal to publish his memoirs

Movement for Democratic Change leader and Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will publish his memoirs on October 1 after signing a multi-million rand deal with Penguin Books.

Tsvangirai, 59, has sold serialisation rights to eleven South African newspapers.

"Morgan Tsvangirai: In at the Deep End", "traces Tsvangirai's political development and activism, laying bare the challenges and frustrations of his political life, up to and including the power-sharing agreements with President Robert Mugabe," Penguin Books said in a statement.

The autobiography, Tsvangirai's first book, was ghost-written by the journalist William Tagwirei Bango. Bango, who worked for the MDC leader for a time as his spokesman, previously worked for The Daily News as a news editor.

Penguin Books said Tsvangirai was "globally regarded as a courageous and indefatigable symbol of resistance in the face of brutal repression" adding that the book would chronicle his travails "from teenage mine worker to trade union leader to Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in a coalition government".

Tsvangirai has sold exclusive serialisation writes to South Africa's Independent Newspaper Group and extracts will be published in its 11 titles: The Star, Pretoria News, Daily Voice, Cape Times, Cape Argus, Weekend Argus, The Mercury, The Post, Daily News, Independent on Saturday and Sunday Independent.

Tsvangirai has followed on the United States of America President, Barack Obama by penning his memoirs.

In the book, he tells of how he befriended Richard Matekenya in 1974 who was to be influential in the decision he took to take up a career as a miner. Matekenya was responsible for drawing Tsvangirai to a newspaper advert in the Rhodesian Herald placed by Anglo American's Bindura Nickel Mine looking for a variety of trainees in mining operations.

This was to be a turning point in young Tsvangirai's life. He applied for the trainee programme and was initially selected among the first 700 out of an initial 2000 applicants. Bindura Nickel Mine however just wanted 14 out of the 700 finalists and Tsvangirai was one of the lucky ones. Unfortunately his friend Matekenya did not make it.

Tsvangirai who was helped by his former personal assistant and now MDC Director of Information, William Bango to put the book together also chronicles the history of the country as he witnessed.

He describes the release from detention of liberation leaders Joshua Nkomo, Reverand Ndabaningi Sithole, Edgar Tekere and President Robert Mugabe. He also recalls the abortive August 1975 talks which were held under the auspices John Vorster and Kenneth Kaunda. Tsvangirai writes his book with a lot of nostalgia.

He recollects his arrival in a thriving Bindura town which was a buzz with mining operations and intensive farming operations. He says the many white farmers who were unmistakenly dressed in khaki shirts, farmer shoes and shorts exuded a businesslike atmosphere in the town, a far cry from what it is now.

The book which will be available in book shops around the world as from October 1 is published by penguin books. It can best be described as reflecting Tsvangirai in conversation with himself.