Members of his party, the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC), said the threat to Mr Tsvangirai’s life was being overlooked as diplomats sought to keep an agreement to reconcile Zimbabwe’s political parties on track.
The party vowed to conduct its own investigation into the car crash in which Susan Tsvangirai, 50, was killed and her 56-year-old husband suffered head injuries.
One member of the MDC criticised comments by a British official that last week’s crash, which involved a vehicle that was distributing medical aid on behalf of British and America assistance programmes, as a “genuine accident”.
“How would the British government know this for sure?” he said. “We had our own people on the scene very shortly afterwards and there was no sign of any High Commission representative.
“We also know that the British government has a great interest in ensuring that the unity government in Zimbabwe is a success despite all the evidence that Mugabe has repeatedly flouted all the conditions.”
President Robert Mugabe visited Mr Tsvangirai, whose injuries were described as minor, in hospital in Harare after the incident. But in a signal of concern among Mr Tsvangirai’s allies over his well being, the prime minister was later flown to neighbouring Botswana for “medical and security” reasons.
Botswana’s president, Ian Khama, is one of the few African leaders to have openly criticised Mr Mugabe’s rule, blaming the president for the economic collapse that has forced more than one million Zimbabweans to emigrate.
Mr Mugabe’s show of sympathy did little to allay the fears of Mr Tsvangirai’s supporters that he had been targeted by Zimbabwe’s security forces, the members of which have a vested interest in ensuring a continuation of Mr Mugabe’s rule.
MDC leaders pointed out that there had been at least four attempts on Mr Tsvangirai’s life in his years of opposition. “This is not a genuine accident”, said Sibanengi Dube, the MDC spokesman in South Africa.
“This is an organised hit that was designed to eliminate our leader.
“We believe that the powerful and notorious clique in Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF is determined to scupper efforts by the inclusive government to get Zimbabwe back on track.”
Yesterday the road outside Mr Tsvangirai's house in suburban Harare was filled with hundreds of mourners in MDC T-shirts, singing Shona funeral songs, dancing and beating drums. Mrs Tsvangirai, 50, will be buried at her rural home of Buhera on Wednesday.
Each day since Mr Tsvangirai was sworn in on February 11 has involved close combat with Mr Mugabe, his ministers and senior officials trying to obstruct the MDC's plan to rebuild the economy, restore human rights and deal with Africa's worst cholera epidemic and a national famine.
This week he was due to deal with an attempt by Mr Mugabe to grab back the Information Technology Ministry after it emerged that the Government's electronic surveillance department - whose prime task was to spy on the MDC - had been handed to one of Mr Tsvangirai's ministers.
Colleagues feared that a prolonged absence would seriously damage the MDC.
“A week is a long time, let alone a fortnight, in Zimbabwean politics,” the commentator Eldred Masunungure said. “The real threat is from the hardliners in Zanu (PF). They may even be celebrating the tragedy. They will probably be ordering full steam ahead on their agenda [of keeping the MDC's hands off power], and will take full advantage of Tsvangirai's absence.”
A grinning young man in a silver SUV yesterday demonstrated the intense hatred felt by many in Zanu (PF) for Mr Tsvangirai and the MDC. He drove the car at high speed through the crowd of mourners milling outside the Tsvangirai's home.
Thokozani Khupe, one of two deputy prime ministers, is expected to stand in for Mr Tsvangirai.
The crash happened as Mr and Mrs Tsvangirai travelled to a weekend home south of Harare just two days after the new prime minister addressed parliament for the first time.
They were in an official vehicle with a private security escort when it was hit by a seven-ton lorry heading the other way.
Choona Mwana, the lorry driver, was reported to have told the independent Zimbabwe Standard newspaper that he had hit a hump in the road and was battling to control his vehicle when it hit Mr Tsvangirai’s car, causing it to overturn.
Mrs Tsvangirai was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.
Seven leading political figures seen to have been challenging Mr Mugabe’s rule had died in mysterious circumstances. Most were killed in vehicle accidents that were never satisfactorily explained. The Telegraph (UK)
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Farai Chitseko
on
03 September, 2010 11:16:00
Muchinda
on
03 September, 2010 10:55:50
maponga
on
03 September, 2010 10:26:48
mwana wevhu
on
03 September, 2010 10:14:55
Black Dragon
on
03 September, 2010 10:07:10
Comments (5 posted):
You wrote in your article that it was private security and now you say Zanu Pf tried to eliminate Prime Minister Morgan, this is one of the most stupid and crazzy article l have never read in my entire life.....
Do you know that British and the Americans have the best survellenve in this world. You do not need a rocket scientist to tell you that it was a natural accident. imagine if this accident was involving a Puma,(Military Truck) what will you be saying,?
Military vehicles are not suppose to be involved in accident, there are suppose to over turn on themself, because even if they do crush to someone known, the assumption will be political oponents wants to assasinate him , all the conspiracy theory will be thrown around.
Morgan was never a threat in Zimbabwean politics he was an Opposition Leader who also want to rule Zimbabwe onve day, whether he will ever rule or not, is not a subject of speculation to say that Pres.Mugabe is eliminating Morgan..
If you understand that , there was never a consensus on how his private security will be constitued, you will all shout your dirty mouths and console the man who lost his beloved wife in this traggic accident.
Morgan knows that it was an accident, and that is the position you must all understand, he may regreat now that he should have been sitting on the right side. But that is VIP rule that you sit on the left and he did that, and he suvived,, it could have been double traggic if he had not followed that standing rule in VIP circles.
Stop all the nonsense, it is just like the Roy issue where people make noise without knowing what was going on... Roy is in cells in Mutare were he committedthe offence from and his last well known address was Chimanimani, hence he has tro report to the court in that part of the country, even if he lost his farm, his ID points to Manicaland...
MDC in general know why Roy is in prism, because he was someone who will not protocol in the part structures and hence, he find himself answering for what he was trying to do.....this is a high profile case and it must be treated as such, there was a lot that was happening prior to ,post election period, with some of the members ready to sign for a military intervention, the problem was Chikoro Chishoma, and hence now there were directed to SADC. even Morgan himself never believed SADC and late alone Mbeki will deliver a GNU....
This costed Mbeki`s job in SA. the pressure to have a military intervetion was growing , with people thinking that Zuma will send his Military accross to Zimbabwe to remove Pres. Mugabe with Desmond Tutu the activities as the Commander of the paratroopers.
There are learning everyday, no wonder why Biti admitted that the Prime Minister need to have proper state security. These were some of the things that had to try and educate our fellow brothers that once you join the Gvt you are better with proper full security. and they refused.. they even want their Private Security details to be smaggled into the Gvt security without proper training,. It is sad, there are learning it after loosing a life. MDC is now part of the existing Gvt they must submit themself and fit in the Gvt and stop making mistakes that will cost them lives...
Our Roads are a death trap, and the earlier the sanctions are removed the better, The Chinese were developing our roads, and so many has been written about Pres. Mugabe mortaging the country to the Chinese....
Let us mantain these roads, sometimes you wonder how these VIPs survive with high speeds of 240km/hr in these Roads.....
Drive around Harare Drive which is suppose to be the well mantained road you will be shock at Port holes along this road. City Centre has portholes.. Drive along Second Street from Kenneth Kaunda to Church Hill you will be luck to cross Church, there are fish ponds there...
This is a British and US Government reliefe vehicle, how can President Mugabe have smaggled a CIO into that vehicle and crush Prime Minister Tsvangirai. Stop all this nonsense, if you do not ahev stories you better let us write for you and educate you better....
You are now saying the British and the Americans tried to assasinated Prime Minister Morgan in your article, buy asking them to keep quiet. Do you need a scientist to tell you that this was a relief vehicle.?
Tom the former Ambassador in his respond confirmed it was an accident.. whether the British Embassy Representative was on the scene or now, is immaterial, they are the once advising Morgan in Security issues and that statement is good enough, you want then to tell you that they are the once who organised the private security for Morgan inorder for you to be satisfied with their comment.
Let us sympathise, and let is not try and speculate for ourselfish means.
Ndatenda, Siyabonga.....Thank you and may God bless Zimbabwe, and may the soul of Susan Rest in Peace.
The coincidence of an NGO USAID truck and USAID employee in alleged shooting of Perence Shiri points to a trend that is being cooked up by the rogue regime in Zimbabwe. We've not see Shiri in a Hospital bed but we've seen a Prime Minister in the media.
Please note that there were two vehicles one in front and one at the back all his security details, and if they confirm it was not accident them you are jistified.Remember there is noone in Zimbabwe Born from a Mother called MDC or ZANU PF or PF ZANU PF we are all Zimbabweans.
You can only accept genuine accidents, die of aids, anything else is ZANU PF, that is nonsense, we are more close the late Susan than these people just writing nonsense, in an death in Zimbabwe, even if the accident is know an Investigation will still be carried out or postmoterm, incase the person has been strangled to death etc... All that will be called out, but that will not imply that the Prime Minister tried to kill his wife before the crash, but because it is a procedure even if , it is know, you can not rule out fowl play....
What you suggesting here, is that people who are suppose to die of road accidents are only ordinary people not VIPs, this is ridiculous to say the least.
The Prime Minister was involved in a car accident, and the MDC admitted the blander, investigation have be launched it is standard even yourself you can go and investigate noone will stop you from doing so.. This accident happened when the GNU is still learning the ropes, shallow minded people like you, will start to rush to specualtion throwing accussations etc. this is counter productive
We need the roads to be repaired, inorder to save move lives, if you google you can tell the roads are terrible, if you can see potholes on the Google map that shows that the sanctions have not spared the country.
We are loosing many ordinary people on the Zimbabweans highways becuase of poor roads, if you have potholes on the Harare Nyanga Road, that shows how bad the situation is. My Brother almost perished at that intersection to Musengengezi, And what we face is real, we want the same people who are writing nonsense to write about the state of our roads so that people understand how the situation has become.
l will never be appologetic, or defend any part, because l am not a politician, but a Zimbabwean case closed.
l am among those who are genuinely passing my condolences to the Tsvangirai Family.may the Soul of Susan (Mai Tsvangirai) Rest in peace....
You can bring conspiracy theory, but the truth is known, that when accidents or loss of life in our Culture, there will be counter accussation about whon among the members of the family has caused that to happen, sometimes they feel someone was jealous etc.... this is an old adage.
One thing you must understand is that in politics, when someone shift his/ her mind. they have shifted for ever... The MDC and ZANU PF guys are in a serious and long lasting relationship.....
Zimbabwe is on the move..... and Morgan have told you already that he was never Mugabe`s enemy but a political oponent.
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