HARARE (Reuters) - The wife of Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who was killed in a car crash that also injured her husband, is expected to be buried on Wednesday, a senior MDC and government official said on Sunday.
The driver of a truck involved in the crash is likely to appear in court on Monday charged with culpable homicide, his lawyer said.
Tsvangirai was flown to neighbouring Botswana on Saturday to recover from the accident and to undergo another medical check-up, but is expected to return to Harare late on Monday, the MDC official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
"The arrangement is that Mrs Tsvangirai will be buried on Wednesday in her rural home of Buhera," he said. A procession commemorating her would be held in Harare on Tuesday.
Tsvangirai, who left hospital in the capital on Saturday, has suffered head and neck wounds, but is in stable condition, other officials said.
Police have launched an investigation into the accident, which took place on Friday on a potholed road south of Harare.
Tsvangirai's MDC said they would conduct their own probe to see whether foul play was involved. The party said the crash could have been avoided if proper security had been in place.
The truck that collided with Tsvangirai's car belongs to the United States Development Agency and was carrying British and U.S. aid. The British government said it believed the crash to be a "genuine accident," according to media reports.
Lawyer Chris Mhike said police had not decided whether the truck driver would be brought before a Harare magistrate or would appear in a court in Chivhu town nearer to the scene of the accident.
"They are hoping they will bring him to court tomorrow. He is facing charges of culpable homicide, it is something that usually attracts a fine or community service depending with the degree of negligence and if the case is not politicised," Mhike told Reuters.
Tsvangirai and his arch rival, President Robert Mugabe, formed a power-sharing government in February after months of negotiations to try to end a political and economic crisis that has brought Zimbabwe to ruin.
Tsvangirai, who turns 57 on Tuesday, had six children with his wife Susan. She was popular among MDC supporters, who would chant "mother, mother" when she appeared at rallies with her husband.
Mrs Tsvangirai, 50, avoided the spotlight but stood by her husband throughout his ordeals as Mugabe's most determined opponent.
(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe)
