Former deputy prime minister, Arthur Mutambara, warned mourners at the funeral of Morgan Tsvangirai - the leader of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) - against being lulled by the ruling Zanu-PF, which for years tried to silence the "people's president".

Emmerson Mnangagwa, who came to power after December's military takeover that saw long-time dictator Robert Mugabe resign, has been making overtures to the family of the late MDC leader.

At the weekend Mnangagwa offered his condolences to Tsvangirai's family, saying: "When we write the history of this country we cannot leave out the participation and role that the former prime minister played in the effort to entrench democratic values in this country". He said the government would assist the family. 

However, on Tuesday Mutambara warned mourners in Buhera saying: "We cannot allow the assistance given by the government to Morgan Tsvangirai to fool us into enabling ZANU-PF to achieve any moral equivalence".

The former deputy prime minister said in "any case this is taxpayer's money, which Morgan Tsvangirai deserved anyway". 

Mutanbara added: "ZANU-PF's criminal culpability in the violation of our people and brutalisation of Morgan Tsvangirai for 30 years must be acknowledged. We must say never again."

He saluted Tsvangirai whom he described as a "great Zimbabwean, a great African, a national hero, the people’s president". 

The funeral at Humanikwa village attended by thousands of mourners was state sponsored,