Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan Tsvangirai has launched a youth voter registration and education campaign – as the country gears up for elections in 2018.

The campaign was launched in Chitungwiza at a rally which was attended by thousands of people under the auspices of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) on Saturday.

Tsvangirai, who is in talks with other smaller opposition parties to forge a grand coalition, urged the youths to register for the polls in their numbers.

He said a massive voter registration and turn out at the polls would prevent President Robert Mugabe from "stealing" another election.

He bemoaned joblessness and poverty among the youth who consist of a third of Zimbabwe’s population.

"You (the youth) should go out to register and vote in large numbers," he told an electric crowd gathered to hear him and other opposition leaders speak at the rally.

"Zanu-PF and Mugabe are finished. They can’t win this election except to try and steal it. But they must be stopped," said Tsvangirai.

He, however, complained that only 5% of people aged below 40 voted in the last election.

Job Sikhala, the MDC secretary for mobilisation told News24, the party was targeting to register between 3-million and 3.5-million new voters, specifically the youth.

Mugabe would be seeking a fifth term at 94 years old, having been in power since independence from Britain in 1980.The nonagenarian controversially won the 2013 polls amid allegations of massive rigging, violence and intimidation.