Tsvangirai’s top aide William Bango dies in car crash

via Tsvangirai’s top aide William Bango dies in car crash | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda on Wednesday, February 26, 2014

William Bango, a top advisor to MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai, died tragically on Tuesday following an accident in Dema on the outskirts of Chitungwiza.

The 62 year old veteran journalist and author was involved in a head collision with another vehicle near the Dema growth point. He was travelling alone in his Isuzu truck. He sustained serious head injuries in the collision and died while he was being rushed to Chitungwiza hospital.

The driver of the other vehicle, a Toyota Raum, died on the spot while a passenger died on the way to hospital. The third passenger in the Toyota escaped with minor injuries.

Bango, a former spokesman for Tsvangirai and author of the MDC-T’s autobiography, ‘At the deep end’ was travelling to Harare to pick up his new daughter in law and drive her back to his rural Chikomba home to introduce her to the family.

Our correspondent Lionel Saungweme told us that the veteran journalist, who was working as the party’s director for policy implementation, was due back in Harare on Sunday but his vehicle developed mechanical problems. It took him two days to have car fixed and he only left his rural home mid morning on Tuesday.

Tsvangirai on Tuesday night extended his condolences to the Bango family when he visited the home of his late aide in Marlborough, Harare. Tsvangirai told the mourner that Bango’s death was a great loss for the party, the journalism profession and the country.
Veteran journalist Sam Mawokomatanda, a former chief sub-editor of the Sunday Mail, who worked with Bango in the early 1980’s, said a lot of journalists in Zimbabwe looked up to him because of his proficiency.

Mawokomatanda added that the country had lost one its most dedicated professionals, who will be remembered for upholding journalistic integrity and ethics during the many years he worked as a scribe and author. Bango is expected to be buried in his rural home in Chikomba on Friday.