Tsvangirai pays tribute to his late wife
Harare – The Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai Foundation will be launched in May to ensure the continuation and fulfilment of her dream of a better Zimbabwe for all Zimbabweans, her husband, Prime Minister and Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan said on Saturday.
At a commemoration rally held at Glamis Stadium in Harare, Tsvangirai said: “After a year of soul searching and consultation, I am proud that in May of this year, the Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai Foundation will be launched to ensure the continuation and fulfilment of her dream of a better Zimbabwe for all our people.”
Susan died in a car crash last March. She and her husband were travelling to their rural home in Buhera when they were hit head on by a truck along the Masvingo Road. Her husband survived the accident with injuries, which were later treated in neighbouring South Africa.
Tsvangirai dismissed allegations that the accident that left him with serious injuries and killed his wife was politically motivated by Zanu PF as it happened soon after the launch of the unity government in February with his long time rival, President Robert Mugabe.
The unity government has failed to make much progress as the three leaders, which also include the leader of the smaller MDC Faction, Arthur Mutambara, have failed to fully implement the Global Political Agreement (GPA), which brought about the fragile coalition government. Talks among the three parties have so far failed to yield positive results, resulting in the mediator, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma suggesting an early poll as a way of resolving the outstanding issues.
However fresh elections in Zimbabwe are dependent of a new constitution that can ensure a fair and free election. Efforts to come up with a new constitution for the country have been hampered by in-fighting and lack of funding amid reports of escalation of violence, threats and intimidation against rural people, civic society members and journalists.
“In celebrating Susan’s life, I am also challenged by her memory,” said Tsvangirai on Saturday. “I will not stand here year after year and settle for something less than what I know she was committed to. Yes, the journey may be difficult and the road may not be easy. But you and I and Susan, and thousands like her did not make this sacrifice to settle for anything less than what we set out to do.”
“We are here to celebrate Susan’s life, to celebrate her belief that one person can make a difference – if you are a mother, a daughter a father, a son, a teacher, a bus driver, an accountant or a lawyer, all of us can do something to help someone else,” he said. “Everyday of her life she did something for someone – for those who needed something they didn’t have, for those who were less fortunate.”
Tsvangira described her late wife as courageous and a fighter. “She would be the first to say today that we should not rest on the victories of the past but move on and work hard to achieve the victories of the future,” he said. “Her courage, and the courage of many others who are not here with us, stand as a reminder of what lies ahead, that though there may be a unity government if there is not unity of purpose we stand with a job not done, not fulfilled.”
He said there was no room in a Zimbabwe of real change for white against black, poor against rich and a culture of greed and corruption. Zimbabwe Mail
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