Zimbabwe's ex-president Robert Mugabe has reportedly "finally broken his silence" and sent a last minute condolence message to his late rival, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's family.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, the message from Mugabe was confirmed by the Movement for Democratic Change's acting president Nelson Chamisa just before the coffin of Tsvagirai was lowered into his final resting place in rural Buhera, 220km south of Harare, on Tuesday.

Chamisa said the message was private and could not be read in public.

"It would be improper for me to do that. We are Tsvangirai's political family, but this is a private message to his real family. Unless they want it read out but that would their choice," Chamisa was quoted as saying.

According to NewsDay, the message was from both Mugabe and his wife Grace.

As Chamisa announced the receipt of the letter the mourners responded with "rapturous applause", the report said.

Tsvangirai, the country's fiercest opponent of Mugabe's tyrannical 37-year rule, died on Wednesday aged 65 at a hospital in South Africa where he had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer.

His body was flown to the burial ceremony aboard a military helicopter, accompanied by his mother Mbuya Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai’s dreams of unseating Mugabe through the ballot box were dashed at several elections. But he lived to see Mugabe resign in November, amid moves by his own party to impeach him