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Mnangagwa in car accident

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Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, one of the shrewdest politicians in the country, was on Saturday night reportedly involved in a car accident which killed a cyclist at the 76-kilometre peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Road. “The accident happened at around 10pm and the cyclist died on the spot. The minister was on his way to Harare […]

Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, one of the shrewdest politicians in the country, was on Saturday night reportedly involved in a car accident which killed a cyclist at the 76-kilometre peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Road.

“The accident happened at around 10pm and the cyclist died on the spot. The minister was on his way to Harare when tragedy struck,” said a senior police officer who preferred anonymity.

However, National Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, though confirming the accident, declined to shed light on whether or not the powerful politician’s vehicle was involved in the fatal crash.

“We are investigating an accident involving a driver by the name Termius Shumba which occurred at the 76-kilometre peg in Selous. A cyclist travelling in the opposite direction was hit and died on the spot,” he said.

Pressed to confirm reports that Mnangagwa was in indeed in the car, Bvudzijena only said: “The issue is irrelevant at the moment.

What we are interested in is the accident and not identities of the occupants,” adding the cyclist had tried to cross the road when he was hit.

Mnangagwa, who reportedly escaped unscathed, is believed to lead a Zanu PF faction eyeing to take over the party and Zimbabwe’s presidency from 87-year-old incumbent, President Robert Mugabe.

Efforts to get hold of Mnangagwa proved fruitless yesterday.

A close confidant of President Mugabe since the liberation war, the Defence minister has held various posts in Cabinet since independence in 1980.

However, he is unlikely to land the country’s top job on a silver platter as yet another faction, reportedly led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru, is equally interested.

In 2004, Mnangagwa lost the battle for the Zanu PF vice-presidency to Mujuru, who had the backing of her powerful and influential husband, the late Retired Army General Solomon Mujuru.

Now as the party’s crucial annual conference roars into life in Bulawayo today, the two bigwigs are once again expected to employ numerous tactics to strengthen their respective factions in a bid to finally lead the revolutionary party and Zimbabwe.

But President Mugabe is unlikely to step down any time soon, hence will not be succeeded by any presidential hopefuls this year.

Already most provinces have endorsed his candidature for the next election, be it in 2012 or 2013.