Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai is critically ill in a South African hospital and his supporters have been advised to brace up for the worse due to his current condition.

The 65-year-old Tsvangirai who heads the country’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has been in and out of hospitals since June, 2016 when he announced that he had colon cancer. He returned to Johannesburg in early January this year for his latest round of treatment.

“From the medical report that I received yesterday, the situation is not looking good. He is critically ill and we should brace up for the worst,” a party source with knowledge of his condition said.

Tsvangirai’s illness has divided the MDC as officials of the party have already started lobbying and jockeying to succeed the former trade union leader, who had last week said it was time for the older generation to step back and give room for new hands in leadership.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, Luke Tamborinyoka however says the MDC leader was in a stable condition, but called on the nation to continue to pray for his quick recovery.

Without Tsvangirai at the helm, the MDC is likely to be destabilized or split, handing a huge advantage to new President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the country’s next elections scheduled to hold within the next six months.