Mr Tsvangirai, who has six children and had two grandchildren, was
flying back from Victoria Falls to join his grieving family at
his home where the tragedy happened.
He has so far remained at his family home and has not moved into the
official residence which President Robert Mugabe occupied when he was
sworn into power at independence in 1980.
Mr Tsvangirai arguably has one of the most difficult political jobs in
the world, sharing power with Mr Mugabe who has repeatedly ordered his
arrest and assault in detention. He returned to work on Tuesday after
mourning his wife’s death.
Mr Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister of a coalition government
in which Mr Mugabe remains head of state and controls the security
ministries, three weeks before his wife, Susan, 50, died after a
US-sponsored aid vehicle swiped the back of his personal vehicle along
a dangerous stretch of road.
Many on the streets of Harare remain convinced that her death was the result of an assassination plot by Mr Mugabe’s cronies.
Nevertheless, slowly but surely, political analysts say Mr Tsvangirai
and his Movement for Democratic Change party are beginning to take
control of the bankrupt country, even though western donors say there
is not enough political progress for any aid beyond humanitarian
assistance.
"It is just beyond belief," said a colleague of Mr Tsvangirai’s in Johannesburg yesteerday after learning of the child’s death.
Mr Tsvangirai, addressing Mr Mugabe and the rest of the cabinet ,said
on Friday: ‘Our actions over the next months will dictate whether
Zimbabwe grows and prospers or resumes its economic and social
decline…
"To try and frustrate its implementation or negate the benefits it can
bring will plunge our nation into another round of conflict, decay and
despair.
"Therefore, we must accept that we are now in a transformative stage with all the pains and challenges it presents."
Several MDC officials remain in detention or are missing and scores of
Zimbabwe’s few hundred remaining white farmers are persecuted by Mr
Mugabe’s supporters on a daily basis.
Sunday Telegraph (UK)
Post published in: News