Susan Tsvangirai was the wife of Morgan Tsvangirai, the current prime minister of Zimbabwe. She was killed in an automobile crash on March 6, 2009, in which her husband sustained cuts and bruises.London Times: Wife of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is killed in car crash (March 6, 2009) Although the crash has been described as an accident, some observers feared that the car wreck may be viewed with suspicion, given the current political upheaval in Zimbabwe.Al Jazeera: Tsvangirai's wife dies in car crash (March 6, 2009)
Accident Accounts
Conflicting accounts of the accident were provided to the press. On the late afternoon of March 6, 2009, the Tsvangirais were traveling to Buhera, a rural part of Zimbabwe where Morgan Tsvangirai was to address a rally. One account said their landcruiser was struck by a truck that sideswiped their vehicle; another refers to the notoriously pot-holed highway and suggests that a blown tire may have caused the car to roll over; a third says the accident was a head-on collision when the truck's driver fell asleep. Some members of the Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party view the accident as suspicious, given the current political upheaval in Zimbabwe swirling around the power struggles for and against president Robert Mugabe.London Times: Wife of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is killed in car crash (March 6, 2009) Al Jazeera: Tsvangirai's wife dies in car crash (March 6, 2009) All Africa.com: Zimbabwe: Susan Tsvangirai Dies in Car Accident Near Chivhu (March 6, 2009) London Times: Tsvangirai : danger lurks on black spot road (March 7, 2009)
Susan Tsvangirai was alive when removed from the vehicle, but died shortly afterward. Morgan Tsvangirai suffered cuts and bruises.London Times: Wife of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is killed in car crash (March 6, 2009)