Zimbabwe PM Morgan Tsvangirai Injured, Wife Killed, in Car Crash Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's wife Susan has been killed after the couple were involved in a car crash outside of Harare on Friday.
URGENT -- Morgan Tsvangirai's wife has died in the car crash outside Harare, according to media reports.
Mr. Tsvangirai was not seriously injured in the crash. The prime minister and his wife were on their way to their rural home in Beatrice when the accident took place.
The cause of the crash is not known, however, it occurred just two days after Tsvangirai delivered his first speech as the newly-sworn in prime minister of Zimbabwe's power-sharing government, according to BBC reports.
Mr Tsvangirai is said to be lightly injured. The crash is said to have happened on a road south of Harare.
Mr Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, formed a unity government with President Robert Mugabe last month.
The two had been long-time rivals before agreeing a power-sharing deal.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Reuters news agency that Mr Tsvangirai was not in a critical condition.
UPDATE | 02:15pm PST — Although no cause has been identified for the crash, many are speculating that Mugabe could have been involved.
Martin Fletcher, at the TimesOnline, recounts the terrible condition of the road on which Tsvangirai's wife was killed.
The two-lane road between Harare and Beitbridge, Zimbabwe’s main border crossing to South Africa, is one of the most dangerous I have driven. It is deeply cratered. Speeding, exhaust-belching lorries, which would never pass a British MoT, grotesquely overloaded trucks and trundling donkey carts jostle for position. Vehicles break down frequently. Many have one headlight, or none. At night the road is even more terrifying.
The suggestion that Mugabe could have been involved in the accident is, apparently, not without precedent.
Mr Mugabe’s henchmen have had his opponents killed in car crashes before. They have spent years trying to silence Mr Tsvangirai through assassination attempts, trumped-up treason charges, death threats, beatings and torture. They are now being asked to share power with this man and for some that is too much to stomach.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (12)
at 09:23 on March 6th, 2009
This seems very convenient for Mugabe. Too convenient.
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Jarrett Martineauat 09:28 on March 6th, 2009
Indeed. A "car crash" and an "accident" are very different things.
at 09:41 on March 6th, 2009
More reaction to the Tsvangirais' car crash can be found using our Scan tool.
at 09:45 on March 6th, 2009
Source: rfi.fr
at 09:47 on March 6th, 2009
What a tragic incident - my thoughts go out to Tsvangirai.
Although it does seem just *too* convenient for Mugabe, I think we should reserve judgement on whether Mugabe and/or Zanu-Pf were involved until more details are available.
D
at 10:49 on March 6th, 2009
Dan is correct, accidents do happen.
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Lynn010 (not verified)at 10:45 on March 6th, 2009
thank you for all this information.
at 10:48 on March 6th, 2009
Oh no what a shame. I hope there is no foul play.
I must admit it was the first thing i thought off.
at 13:31 on March 6th, 2009
Oh how sad - he has just had no luck with life recently and yet he keeps on trying - I have such great respect for him.
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jose rodriguez (not verified)at 15:54 on March 6th, 2009
Business Day, 20090128) - SADC countries unanimously agreed that the resolution to establish an inclusive government in Zimbabwe was the only way forward, Director-General in the Presidency Frank Chikane said on Wednesday. Referring to a resolution taken at the South African Development Community (SADC) summit on Monday and Tuesday, Mr Chikane said while political parties in Zimbabwe may have had to make compromises on their demands, the outcome had been agreed on. "SADC did their best to produce a compromise position that took into consideration all the issues raised by the parties [in Zimbabwe]," he told a press briefing in Pretoria. Mr Chikane said the inclusive government had never been debated by the parties, but that its implementation had produced the obstacles. He would not comment on political statements made by the Movement for Democratic Change regarding the outcome of the two-day summit. Among its objections, the MDC found it regrettable that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was allowed to sit in during closed sessions of plenary hearings, unfairly allowing him to be a judge in his own case. Mr Chikane however said the MDC did have the right to raise these issues and discuss them at its upcoming national executive committee meeting. "All the parties should consider seriously the resolution that the leaders of this region [SADC] reached after many hours," he said in reference to the talks on Monday that continued through the night. The understanding was, however, that most problems could be solved once an inclusive government was formed.
The date given for the formation of this government was 13 February. This would be after the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers had been sworn in. Mr Chikane again backed SADC, in particular South Africa's stance that the new government must be formed urgently to start addressing the political, social and economic problems in Zimbabwe.
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JOSE
Extended Stay Motel
at 08:23 on March 7th, 2009
Yes, Strange. Some what to convenient.
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nelisa (not verified)at 04:56 on March 24th, 2009
i am a 15 year old girl and i realy find this whloe thing disturbing. the crime rate of the world can decrease if we accualy do something about this. not only wasthe prime minister of zim badly hurt but he lost his wife of 31 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please guys we can make a change if we put our minds to it much love