Unity After Death
Part of my daily routine includes reading the news. As I like to gain various perspectives on what goes on in the world, I also make sure to read a variety of sources to get my “daily dose.” Through this process, however, I have discovered some inconsistencies across the stories I read. (This should not come as a big surprise to most , if not all, of you.) None have been as glaring as the coverage in regards to the death of Mrs. Tsvangirai, wife of Prime Minister Tsvangirai, who is the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change party in Zimbabwe.
News reports in South Africa portrayed the crash as an accident involving the collision of a US aid truck and the Tsvangirai’s vehicle. The truck driver reportedly sideswiped the vehicle, causing it to overturn numerous times. The truck was immediately impounded by Zimbabwean authorities and the driver arrested under charges of culpable homicide. Investigation suggests the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
News reports elsewhere, however, differed. Those from BBC and CNN did not reveal until a later date that the truck was that of USAID. The specific USAID program is said to be jointly funded by the UK and US. Additionally, such articles fail to mention the driver of the truck is facing criminal charges. US sources also state the truck may have hit a rock and that traffic accidents in Zimbabwe are unfortunately very common.
This is a dilemma for me. As tragic as this event is, I realize it may in fact help facilitate the rebuilding of a broken land. At the same time, I wonder in whose favor it is to focus on the positive, as opposed to the cause of the accident itself. Either way, I suppose the best thing I can do at this point is maintain my civic responsibility by informing myself and applying a critical lens.
Here is a small sampling of the news stories addressing the death of Mrs. Tsvangirai.
6 March Zimbabwe PM’s wife dies in crash (BBC)
6 March Tsvangirai’s car hit by US truck – report (South Africa)
7 March Official: Tsvangirai believes fatal crash was deliberate (CNN)
9 March Tsvangirai says crash an accident (BBC)
10 March Truck driver faces charges over death of PM’s wife (Australia)
10 March Zimbabweans bid farewell to Mrs. Tsvangirai (South Africa)
11 March Thousands attend funeral for Zimbabwe prime minister’s wife (CNN)
Hi Sara – I don’t know all the circumstances, how does this facilitate the rebuilding?
art said this on 16 March 2009 at 11:56 pm
There was a short article (several sentences) buried in the middle section of our newspaper. I was taken aback by the lack of coverage due to what has been and is going on in Zimbabwe. It is difficult to believe this happened and will we ever know if it was truly an accident.
Momox said this on 17 March 2009 at 5:43 am
Hi, Art! Her death seemed to have helped bring together opposition parties due to people “uniting in spirit” for a tragedy. Here is a follow-up article that examines it a bit more if you are interested!
+UntamedZebra+ said this on 18 April 2009 at 9:44 pm