HARARE, Zimbabwe, March 9, 2009
Zimbabwe PM: Wife's Death An Accident
Morgan Tsvangirai Says "No Foul Play" In Car Crash That Killed Wife, Injured Him
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Zimbabwes Priminster Morgan Tsvangirai, seen, addressing mourners at his home, in Harare, March, 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
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The wrecked vehicle alongside the road near Harare, March 7, 2009, that was involved in an accident Friday in which Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was injured and his wife Susan was killed. (AP Photo)
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Tsvangirai's party called for an investigation into the car crash, but warned Zimbabweans not to jump to conclusions about the cause. (AP Photo)
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Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai pictured in a hospital bed in Harare, Saturday, March 7, 2009. He was later released. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
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Morgan Tsvangirai addressed mourners gathered outside his home upon his return to Zimbabwe's capital after receiving medical treatment in neighboring Botswana following Friday's crash.
Zimbabwe's long history of political violence blamed on President Robert Mugabe's forces - including several assassination attempts on Tsvangirai - has fueled speculation that the crash was not an accident.
But Tsvangirai told supporters "in this case I want to say there is no foul play. It was an accident."
The couple's four-wheel-drive vehicle collided with a truck carrying U.S. aid on the outskirts of the capital on a notoriously dangerous road.
State television said the truck swerved on an uneven stretch of the road, which, like many in Zimbabwe, is poorly maintained.
Tsvangirai's spokesman said the car carrying the prime minister, his wife, a driver and a bodyguard sideswiped the truck and rolled at least three times.
The driver of the truck was expected to appear in court later Monday.
A rally in honor of Susan Tsvangirai will be held Tuesday on the prime minister's 57th birthday. The funeral will take place on Wednesday. The couple had been married for more than three decades and had six children together.
By Associated Press Writer Angus Shaw
© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- The PM could have used this accident as a way of whipping up his supporters, had he wanted to lie and blame Mugabe. At least one person in the government cares more about his country than about how much power and control he can gain.
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