PM Tsvangirai's family hit by tragedy again

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has suffered another family tragedy shortly after taking office, with the death of his infant grandson, his spokesman said yesterday.

An official in Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said the two-year-old grandson identified as Sean drowned in a swimming pool at the prime minister's Harare home. Mr Tsvangirai was injured in a car crash in March that killed his wife of 31 years.

Her death raised questions over how quickly he could recover and take on the urgent task of rescuing the ruined country after he was sworn in on February 13 in a new unity government with President Robert Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai left a government reconstruction meeting in Victoria Falls on Saturday after learning of his grandson's death, spokesman James Maridadi said.

"There has been another tragedy in the prime minister's family, his grandson died yesterday," he said. Mr Tsvangirai returned to work on April 1 after mourning for his wife Susan. The unity government faces the daunting task of reversing 10 years of economic decline.