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Nduduzo Tshuma, Senior Political Reporter
FOUR senior officials from the MDC-T and MDC were injured in separate accidents on Friday and Saturday night while travelling from Harare to Bulawayo.

MDC-T national chairman Lovemore Moyo, his aide Artwell Sibanda and a driver were seriously injured when a Mazda BT50 they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a truck in Chivhu on Saturday night.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said the accident occurred when Moyo’s driver tried to avoid hitting a cow that was on the road.

“They were taken to a hospital in Chivhu before being transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH). Their condition is said to be critical but stable,” he said.

MDC secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi- Mushonga, party spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube, prominent Bulawayo lawyer Sindiso Mazibisa and a driver were injured when a Jeep Cherokee they were travelling in hit a cow 60 kilometres outside Bulawayo on Friday night.

Misihairabwi-Mushonga was reported to be admitted at Mater Dei Hospital yesterday with doctors assessing her injuries while Mazibisa, Dube and a driver escaped with minor injuries.

Dube yesterday said the accident occurred at around 10PM while they were on their way from Harare where they held unity talks with the MDC Renewal Team.

“We were about 60 kilometres from Bulawayo at Lochard. As we were navigating a curve, we encountered a cow at the end of a herd that was already on the other side of the road. The cow was in the middle of the road and the driver tried to avoid it but it was too late. He hit its rear resulting in the vehicle veering off the road,” said Dube.

He said the driver managed to control the vehicle preventing it from overturning.

“The driver, myself and Mazibisa suffered minor bruises. Misihairabwi-Mushonga is still in hospital where tests are being carried out to check the extent of her injuries,” said Dube.

Dube called for the urgent erection of a fence along the highway where a number of people including national hero Cde Mike Karakadzai have perished after crashing into cattle.

In a joint statement last Friday, MDC and the MDC Renewal Team said they had met to formally commence negotiations for the full reunification of the two parties.

The two parties said in a statement, “Pursuant to the endorsement of the Memorandum of Understanding by the joint Executive Committees of the two parties meeting independently.

“The Secretary Generals and their negotiating teams met today (Friday) at Harare this 17th of October 2014 to formally commence negotiations for the full Re-unification of the Parties”.

In the statement, the parties said they had agreed to the principles that will guide the process framework and roadmap towards re-unification.

“The parties remain fully cognisant of the deteriorating economic situation in the country whose answer can only be found in a collective approach which would create a new narrative which puts Zimbabwe first taking us away from the current projectile of hate and destructive politics,” read the statement.

Early this month, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to engage in talks for possible unity.

The two parties had the MoU signed by their respective secretary generals,MDC’s Misihairabwi -Mushonga and MDC Renewal Team’s Tendai Biti.
In a joint statement at the time, Misihairabwi -Mushonga and Biti said they had common values, which led them to consider uniting.

The two said their talks would continue to be part of the grand coalition talks and consultations in which the two parties had been involved in.

The MDC Renewal Team split from MDC-T following their disgruntlement over Morgan Tsvangirai’s leadership and his dismal performance in the 2013 harmonised elections.

The MDC, formerly led by Arthur Mutambara, split from Tsvangirai’s MDC-T after      they failed to agree on whether or not to participate in the 2005