Redcliff MDC MP Abedinico Malinga dies in car crash

By Tichaona Sibanda
13 March 2008

The MDC MP for Redcliff in the Midlands province, Abedenico Malinga, has died. The legislator from the Mutambara faction died Thursday after he was involved in a car crash along the Gweru to Kwekwe highway.

Malinga becomes the third parliamentary candidate and the second sitting MP from the faction to die in the space of three weeks. The Mutambara MDC first lost its candidate for Gwanda, Glory Makwatu a week after the nomination court, then a few days later their MP for Mpopoma, Milton Gwetu, died of a suspected heart failure.

Professor Welshman Ncube said they were in ‘total shock’ over Malinga’s untimely death.

‘This is very, very painful. It’s a sad experience and I’m completely at a loss of words to describe this tragic moment. We are all numb with shock,’ Ncube said.

Several other people, including the MDC MP for Mkoba in Gweru, Amos Chibaya, where in the same vehicle with Malinga when it veered off the road and hit a tree just as they were approaching KweKwe. Chibaya is believed to have sustained serious head injuries. He was admitted to a hospital in KweKwe.

According to police Malinga, who was driving, tried to avoid a head-on collision and seemed to have lost control as the vehicle veered off the road and smashed into a tree.

The MP survived the initial impact. He was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries but died an hour after being admitted. Ncube said Malinga’s death has traumatised so many of their members that they still cannot believe he has died.

‘The man was a hardworking, charming, disciplined and principled MP. As with the other two deaths we expect the Redcliff election to be postponed to a later date,’ Ncube said.