TSVANGIRAI'S WIFE IS TO BE BURIED !

Morgan and Susan Tsvangirai had six children together

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's wife, Susan, is to be buried at her rural home in Buhera.

She was killed in a car crash last Friday in which her husband was hurt.

On Tuesday, ceremonies were held in the capital Harare, during which President Robert Mugabe described the crash as the "hand of God".

Mr Tsvangirai has said the crash was an accident, despite suspicions about her death because of past acrimony between the prime minister and Mr Mugabe.

The Tsvangirais, who had been married for 31 years, were travelling to Buhera from Harare when their car collided with an aid lorry near Beatrice on Friday afternoon.

We are sincerely saddened by the death of Susan and we hope that Morgan will remain strong Robert Mugabe 'Mother of struggle' mourned Mourning in pictures

The prime minister was first treated in a Harare hospital and later flown to neighbouring Botswana for rest and medical tests.

The driver of the lorry has been charged with culpable homicide.

On Tuesday, some 20,000 people attended a memorial service in the capital's Glamis Stadium.

Large portraits of Susan - the 50-year-old mother-of-six - hung around the stadium, where her husband spoke last month after being sworn in as prime minister.

Mr Tsvangirai reportedly briefly addressed the crowd to say: "Let's celebrate her existence as God's gift to me and you."

In spite of his bereavement, the prime minister said earlier that "life had to go on".

Mr Tsvangirai's closest aide, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, said: "We're so traumatised, brutalised, we couldn't feel the pain. Why, why, why?"

In his first public comments on the crash, Mr Mugabe said during a church service before the ceremony in the stadium: "I plead with you to accept it, it's the hand of God."

Mr Mugabe continued: "We are sincerely saddened by the death of Susan and we hope that Morgan will remain strong."

The 85-year-old leader, whose supporters were accused of launching deadly attacks on opposition activists during last year's elections, added that the environment in the country should not be conducive to violence.

Most of the new administration which shares power between Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF and Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were also present at the memorial service.
BBC NEWS REPORT.