The two-lane road between Harare and Beitbridge, Zimbabwe’s main border crossing to South Africa, is one of the most dangerous I have driven. It is deeply cratered. Speeding, exhaust-belching lorries, which would never pass a British MoT, grotesquely overloaded trucks and trundling donkey carts jostle for position. Vehicles break down frequently. Many have one headlight, or none. At night the road is even more terrifying.

This was where Morgan Tsvangirai narrowly escaped with his life yesterday, and his wife was killed. It may well have been an accident. Scores happen every day on that road. People are regularly injured or killed. The problem is that Robert Mugabe’s regime scarcely deserves the benefit of the doubt, especially if reports that the police confiscated MDC film of the accident scene are true.

Mr Mugabe’s henchmen have had his opponents killed in car crashes before. They have spent years trying to silence Mr Tsvangirai through assassination attempts, trumped-up treason charges, death threats, beatings and torture. They are now being asked to share power with this man and for some that is too much to stomach.

Ever since the unity Government was set up in mid-February a shadowy group of military and security chiefs has been conspiring to undermine it. The big question is whether it is acting with the secret blessing of the wily Old Crocodile, or whether Mr Mugabe has simply lost control of his own party.

Times Archive, 1983: And now the real Mugabe stands up

His elegance of speech, and gentleness of manner, have deceived many in the West

• Leading article: Zimbabwe's vote, 1985

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