The Zimbabwe elections were held in late March of 2008 and the country only recently reached a power-sharing agreement between the Movement for Democratic Change and Zanu-PF, the political party that has had a stranglehold on the country since independence, led by its dictator, Robert Mugabe. Only a month after MDC party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, finally took office as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, and less than a week after his first critical speech to Zimbabwe Parliament, Tsvangirai and his wife were involved in a fatal accident yesterday outside of Harere. Sadly, his wife of 38 years and mother to their 6 children, Susan, was killed while he escaped with minor injuries.
There is much suspicion circulating that the accident may not have been an accident. At the very least, critics challenge the lack of security Tsvangirai receives in comparison to the motorcades Mugabe travels in when he deigns to leave his estate. So far, it is known the truck that crashed into them was owned by a United States-based organization that was delivering AIDS-related medicines, but driven by a Zimbabwean contractor. MDC officials hope an independent investigation can be carried out to determine the driver's background and claims he "fell asleep at the wheel," causing this fatal accident.
Recently Zimbabwe has faced tremendous international pressure, xenophobic violence for Zim refugees in South Africa, and a horrifying cholera epidemic. President Barack Obama of the United States has decided to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe for at least another year.
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