Mugabe sends message to rival after crash

Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe has sent prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s family condolences after his wife was killed in a crash, state radio reported tonight.

He called Susan Tsvangirai’s death a “tragedy that has fallen on our nation at a time of great hope for our country”.

The president also said the nation was praying that the prime minister’s recovery “be swift and complete”.

The prime minister’s party today called for an investigation into the car crash that injured Mr Tsvangirai and killed his wife, but warned Zimbabweans not to jump to conclusions about the cause.

Rumours that the crash that killed Susan Tsvangirai was not an accident were inevitable given the history of political violence in a country battered by economic and humanitarian crisis.

“We cannot talk of foul play ... until it has been proved what has really transpired,” said Tendai Biti, Tsvangirai’s No. 2 in the Movement for Democratic Change party and the country’s new finance minister.

He added that the crash “could have been avoided” had Tsvangirai been afforded the kind of motorcade that usually travels with president Robert Mugabe. At a news conference at party headquarters in Harare, Biti called for an investigation.

Tonight, Mr Tsvangirai’s spokesman, James Maridadi, said the prime minister was discharged from hospital and going home.

Associated Press reporters saw the former opposition leader leaving today with a baseball cap pulled over his bandaged head.

Dr Douglas Gwatidzo, head of casualty at the hospital, said the prime minister had head injuries and chest pains. State television showed pictures of Mr Tsvangirai in a neck brace, which Dr Gwatidzo said was being used to keep him comfortable.

Britain and the United States, both supporters of Mr Tsvangirai, sent condolences. South Africa, which played a key role in negotiating a power-sharing deal that made Mr Tsvangirai prime minister, also expressed condolences.

President Mugabe spent about an hour at the hospital late last night.

Mr Tsvangirai, who turns 57 next week, was sworn in February 11 as Zimbabwe’s prime minister in a power-sharing deal meant to end almost a year of deadly stalemate with Mr Mugabe.

The unity government was formed under pressure from neighbouring governments who wanted Zimbabwean leaders to turn their attention to a growing humanitarian and economic crisis after years of rivalry between Mr Tsvangirai and Mr Mugabe, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980.

Mr Tsvangirai’s party today quoted his wife as once saying there were times when she so feared for her husband’s safety that “sleeping was no longer part of my life. I just prayed”.

“But at the end of the day, I had to support my husband,” she said.