Thousands of supporters gathered on Saturday to hear opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-deputy president Joice Mujuru denounce Mugabe and call for unity among opposition parties to defeat the 92-year-old president who has held power for 36 years.

"We need a collective consensus of all Zimbabweans to make sure that Mugabe listens to the voice of the people," Tsvangirai said in Gweru.