NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7984293.stm


Tsvangirai grandson dies in pool

Mr Tsvagirai had only recently returned to work after his wife's death

The four-year-old grandson of Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has drowned in a swimming pool at the family's home in Harare.

The death of the child, Sean, comes less than a month after Mr Tsvangirai's wife Susan died in a car crash.

The prime minister had been at a ministerial meeting in Victoria Falls at the time of the drowning, but left to be with his family.

He had only recently returned to work after mourning his wife's death.

Mr Tsvangirai was injured in the March crash that killed his wife of 31 years.

Sean Tsvangirai was the son of the prime minister's second son, Garikai, who lives in Canada but had been in Harare since his mother's death.

Ministers from Zimbabwe's power-sharing government had been meeting for a three-day bonding session in a luxury hotel in the resort of Victoria Falls.

The exercise was intended to help the former rivals trust each other and work together after years of division.

Mr Tsvangirai was sworn in on 13 February as part of a new power-sharing government with President Robert Mugabe.

The unity government is tasked with reversing years of economic decline in the country.

Is anybody else suspicious? It's a bit convenient how first his wife, then his grandson dies within the space of a month.

It's pretty obvious his family is being targeted. It was obvious when his wife had her little accident, and I'm sure it'll be obvious when someone else close to him loses his or her life. Will it be proven? Doubtful...but that's not the point, is it? Very plausible, natural accidents.

Honestly? No, this doesn't look as suspicious. The car crash was clearly an assassination attempt, and was the Mugabe government's assassination MO, but unitl there's more news, this doesn't strike me as anything other than an unfortunate tragedy.

Once is an incident, Twice is coincidence, Three times is enemy action.

Once is an incident, Twice is coincidence, Three times is enemy action.

That's what I told my wife, but she still wants to have sex. :)

I think Mugabe's reasoning was something along the lines of "if you can't beat them, join them, but just make sure they're never in the office and you can carry on as normal".

That's what I told my wife, but she still wants to have sex. :)

She believes in operating behind enemy lines and deep sabotage. *nod*

To lose one relative may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness.

-- O. Wilde (paraphrased)

Seriously, though, that's very sad and likely coincidental, but I can't fault someone for thinking it looks fishy.

She believes in operating behind enemy lines and deep sabotage. *nod*

:eek:

:D

Its perfectly possible that its just a miserable coincidence. Drownings happen. It's a tragedy either way, but I wouldn't assume it was murder.

It's hugely statistically unlikely for two fatal accidents like this to happen in such quick succession, that makes it almost by definition suspicious.

It's hugely statistically unlikely for two fatal accidents like this to happen in such quick succession, that makes it almost by definition suspicious.

hard to say drowning a child that young in a pool simply requires tossing him in.

It's hugely statistically unlikely for two fatal accidents like this to happen in such quick succession, that makes it almost by definition suspicious.

Well, the first one clearly was. And I wouldn't assume anything, either way, in this situation.

Well, the first one clearly was. And I wouldn't assume anything, either way, in this situation.

The first one clearly was what?

The first one clearly was what?

Suspicious. Especially considering Mugabe's opponents have a tendency to die in car accidents. There's no such precedent for family members drowning; that makes me less suspicious. If the grandson had died in a car accident, however....

Suspicious. Especially considering Mugabe's opponents have a tendency to die in car accidents. There's no such precedent for family members drowning; that makes me less suspicious. If the grandson had died in a car accident, however....

I don't think Mugabe's stupid enough to try another car assassination attempt.

I don't think Mugabe's stupid enough to try another car assassination attempt.

You don't stay in power as long as Mugabe being stupid. That being said, another 'accident' involving a car isn't stupid if it still can't be proven to be anything other than an accident.

Unfortunately, little boys don't drive cars...but they do drown in pools very easily.

Coincidence?
We don't think so!

Hmm... I wonder how that happened.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7984293.stm



Is anybody else suspicious? It's a bit convenient how first his wife, then his grandson dies within the space of a month.


That poor guy never gets a break :(

That's what I told my wife, but she still wants to have sex. :)

*ahem*

you mean "pre-dawn, horizontal, friendly inserstion" right?

Very suspicious. And IMHO this can only be bad for the country!

*ahem*

you mean "pre-dawn, horizontal, friendly inserstion" right?

Or deep front line penetration. ;)

Or deep front line penetration. ;)

More like a beach head dear. Don't let's get above ourselves.

There are swimming pools in Zimbabwe?

But seriously, that's not all that uncommon. It's believable. But that possibly makes it more suspicious.

If Mugabe was behind this, then I say we don't bother bringing him to trial. We just kill him.

If Mugabe was behind this, then I say we don't bother bringing him to trial. We just kill him.

The thing is, it's not necessary for Bob to have given his Stamp of Approval on this if it had been a hit. His more fanatical followers in Zanu-PF could have seen fit to carry it out on their own, which seems likely as it would leave his hands clean with the same net effect.

Is anybody else suspicious? It's a bit convenient how first his wife, then his grandson dies within the space of a month.

If you guys would just stop trying to undermine his rule......

Mugabe has no reason to target women and children. Please remember that he agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with Tsvangirai, which was hailed even in the hostile international press as a breakthrough. Already, Tsvangirai has contributed much to the political scene in Zimbabwe, and Mugabe is pleased to work alongside him.

Be aware that Mugabe is an old man and only has his country and legacy to look out for. He is a staunch Marxist and anti-colonialist and is deeply invested in the ongoing struggle for equality of his people. Western media outlets and intelligence services have opposed him from the beginning, from when he was a revolutionary fighting the racist colonial regime that oppressed black Africans.

The anti-revolutionary continuations of colonial powers, which even now have an economic incentive to keep Africans poor and quiet while they steal resources, have every incentive to badmouth Mugabe and heroes like him.

Honestly? No, this doesn't look as suspicious. The car crash was clearly an assassination attempt, and was the Mugabe government's assassination MO, but unitl there's more news, this doesn't strike me as anything other than an unfortunate tragedy.

^ This.

Mugabe has no reason to target women and children. Please remember that he agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with Tsvangirai, which was hailed even in the hostile international press as a breakthrough. Already, Tsvangirai has contributed much to the political scene in Zimbabwe, and Mugabe is pleased to work alongside him.

Be aware that Mugabe is an old man and only has his country and legacy to look out for. He is a staunch Marxist and anti-colonialist and is deeply invested in the ongoing struggle for equality of his people. Western media outlets and intelligence services have opposed him from the beginning, from when he was a revolutionary fighting the racist colonial regime that oppressed black Africans.

The anti-revolutionary continuations of colonial powers, which even now have an economic incentive to keep Africans poor and quiet while they steal resources, have every incentive to badmouth Mugabe and heroes like him.

If Mugabe practiced what he preached vis-a-vis Marxism, Zimbabwe would not have one of the greatest rich-poor divides in the world. People would not be destitute and starving while ZANU-PF bigwigs lived like royalty. Schools and hospitals would not be derelict and short of supplies.

Equality? What equality? The vast majority of Zimbabweans are hungry, unemployed, and hopeless, while Mugabe and his cronies are basking in wealth and living the good life.

Yes, the regime in Rhodesia was despicable. It committed gross human rights abuses, including the use of biological warfare against its enemies and savage reprisals against natives accused of supporting the insurgents (though I should add that ZANU and ZAPU also employed torture and murder on a wide scale), and it was far from a liberal democracy. But that does not excuse Mugabe's tyranny. Period.

Look at Nelson Mandela. His presidency was preceded by a regime far more repressive, brutal, and heinous than that in Rhodesia, and yet he himself presided over a democratic, colorblind, pragmatic government. South Africa today is deeply flawed and far from perfect, but it is, on the whole, free and democratic. Mugabe enjoyed general goodwill in the international community when he took office, and he could have done what Mandela later did and worked for a democratic, non-racialist society. Instead, he opted for a de facto single-party state characterized by terror against ethnic minorities (not just whites, but Ndebele as well), police state tactics, economic mismanagement, rampant corruption, and human rights abuses that are among the worst in the world.

Mugabe's actions are simply not excusable in any context.

If Mugabe practiced what he preached vis-a-vis Marxism, Zimbabwe would not have one of the greatest rich-poor divides in the world. People would not be destitute and starving while ZANU-PF bigwigs lived like royalty. Schools and hospitals would not be derelict and short of supplies.

Equality? What equality? The vast majority of Zimbabweans are hungry, unemployed, and hopeless, while Mugabe and his cronies are basking in wealth and living the good life.

Yes, the regime in Rhodesia was despicable. It committed gross human rights abuses, including the use of biological warfare against its enemies and savage reprisals against natives accused of supporting the insurgents (though I should add that ZANU and ZAPU also employed torture and murder on a wide scale), and it was far from a liberal democracy. But that does not excuse Mugabe's tyranny. Period.

Look at Nelson Mandela. His presidency was preceded by a regime far more repressive, brutal, and heinous than that in Rhodesia, and yet he himself presided over a democratic, colorblind, pragmatic government. South Africa today is deeply flawed and far from perfect, but it is, on the whole, free and democratic. Mugabe enjoyed general goodwill in the international community when he took office, and he could have done what Mandela later did and worked for a democratic, non-racialist society. Instead, he opted for a de facto single-party state characterized by terror against ethnic minorities (not just whites, but Ndebele as well), police state tactics, economic mismanagement, rampant corruption, and human rights abuses that are among the worst in the world.

Mugabe's actions are simply not excusable in any context.

^this

Mugabe has no reason to target women and children. Please remember that he agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with Tsvangirai, which was hailed even in the hostile international press as a breakthrough. Already, Tsvangirai has contributed much to the political scene in Zimbabwe, and Mugabe is pleased to work alongside him.

Be aware that Mugabe is an old man and only has his country and legacy to look out for. He is a staunch Marxist and anti-colonialist and is deeply invested in the ongoing struggle for equality of his people. Western media outlets and intelligence services have opposed him from the beginning, from when he was a revolutionary fighting the racist colonial regime that oppressed black Africans.

The anti-revolutionary continuations of colonial powers, which even now have an economic incentive to keep Africans poor and quiet while they steal resources, have every incentive to badmouth Mugabe and heroes like him.

I lol'd at this. Seriously, you've got real comedic talent.

Mugabe has no reason to target women and children. Please remember that he agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with Tsvangirai, which was hailed even in the hostile international press as a breakthrough. Already, Tsvangirai has contributed much to the political scene in Zimbabwe, and Mugabe is pleased to work alongside him.

Be aware that Mugabe is an old man and only has his country and legacy to look out for. He is a staunch Marxist and anti-colonialist and is deeply invested in the ongoing struggle for equality of his people. Western media outlets and intelligence services have opposed him from the beginning, from when he was a revolutionary fighting the racist colonial regime that oppressed black Africans.

The anti-revolutionary continuations of colonial powers, which even now have an economic incentive to keep Africans poor and quiet while they steal resources, have every incentive to badmouth Mugabe and heroes like him.

A few more "heroes" like Mugabe and the colonial powers will be able to have that land back - because it wll be a true Terra Nullius, unoccupied land.