President Robert Mugabe today joined thousands of his countrymen mourning for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s wife, saying it is an act of God.
Mugabe, who formed a unity government with Tsvangirai in February, told mourners at a memorial service in Harare that Susan Tsvangirai’s death in a car crash last Friday was an act of God.
“This is a difficult moment for our colleague. He has lost a partner and we must all rally to support him and lessen his burden … This is the hand of God,” said .
“To our supporters we want to say violence should stop. That’s what Mrs Tsvangirai would have wanted, for us to co-exist peacefully. We have just started a new life after years of fighting each other and insulting each other. We have said let’s give peace and harmony a chance and work together.”
On his return from Bostwana on Monday where he had gone for further treatment Tsvangirai ruled out foul play as the cause of a car crash that injured him and killed his wife.
He said as he fought back tears, “I know when something happens, there is always speculation but in this case, I want to say, if there was any foul play it is one in a thousand. “It was an accident that unfortunately took her (Susan’s) life,” he said.
Analysts say this would help ease tensions in the new government.
But many Zimbabweans are still suspicious of the cause. People began making their way by foot and car to a stadium in the capital Harare to bid farewell to Susan Tsvangirai.
Scores of people had already gathered at Glamis Stadium for the noon memorial service that is expected to be thronged by supporters of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Some had hitched a lift from 150 kilometres away.
A court on Monday granted the driver of the truck, who faces charges of culpable homicide, bail of 100 Zimbabwe dollars, a fraction of a US dollar to March 23.
Chinoona Mwanda (35), who was arrested last Friday following the accident, was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Mr Reuben Mukazhi.
