Govt probe on Tsvangirai wife's death

Zimbabwe Government wants to investigate white commercial farmers over their alleged involvement in the car crash, state media reports

HARARE, Tuesday

The Zimbabwean government wants to investigate white commercial farmers over their alleged involvement in the car crash that claimed Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's wife a fortnight ago, State media has reported.

The latest reports implicating the Commercial Farmers Union, which represents the country's remaining white farmers, adds a new twist to Mrs Susan Tsvangirai's death that most Zimbabweans refuse to accept was an accident.

This also follows a statement by the United States embassy in Harare disowning the Nissan Diesel truck that side-swept Mr Tsvangirai's vehicle leading to the fatal accident about 100 kilometres outside Harare.

The embassy had initially admitted that the vehicle belonged to the United States International Development Agency (USAID) and that it was carrying out US and UK business at the time of the crash through a private contractor.

The truck was delivering essential HIV and Aids and medical supplies to health clinics under an effort co-financed by USAID and the United Kingdom Department for International Development.

But the State-owned Herald newspaper, which usually reflects the thinking in President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party, said it had uncovered fresh information that the contractor in question was Crown Agents, a concern with roots steeped in British colonialism.

The paper said John Snow International, which partnered Crown Agents and had admitted ownership of the truck had their headquarters at a building owned by the CFU.

It might be coincidence but JSI's headquarters here is what is called Agriculture House or CFU house, the paper said, quoting an unnamed government official.

On the day of the accident, white commercial farmers were at the scene before the Prime Minister's own close people knew what had happened.

The government official said security officials should determine exactly how far this friendship (between CFU and Crown Agents) and their interests in the country go.

CFU vice president, Mr Deon Theron was arrested as he allegedly filmed and photographed the wreckage.

Professor Jonathan Moyo, a former Minister of Information and Publicity in Mr Mugabe's government and now an independent Member of Parliament also called for an investigation into USAID's operations following the accident.

He said the fact that a USAID driver was implicated in the shooting of Air Force of Zimbabwe commander Air Vice Marshal Perence Shiri last December was too much of a coincidence.

The driver whose employers insist was nowhere near the scene of the alleged hijacking was released early this month because of lack of evidence linking him to the crime.

However, it is the latest attempt to link the crash, which Mr Tsvangirai insists was an accident that might fuel fresh controversy.

Zimbabwe has witnessed a fresh wave of farm invasions targeting the remaining few white commercial farmers and their unions say the disturbances are racially motivated.

Mr Mugabe accuses the white farmers of working with former colonial power Britain and the US to try to topple him from power so as to reverse his land reforms.

The ageing ruler also accused the Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change of being puppets of the West and the white farmers until the party agreed to join him in a unity government last month.

However, in some circles the attempt to link the white farmers to the crash would be seen as trying to shift blame from the real culprits.

The country has a long history of prominent politicians who die in mysterious accidents after falling out of favour with those in power.