Accident kills Zimbabwe minister

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe's Defence Minister Moven Mahachi has been killed in a car crash in mountainous terrain, state radio has reported.

The 52-year-old defence minister died in the country's eastern highlands on Saturday when his official Mercedes Benz collided with another car in the Nyanga district in Manicaland province on the border with Mozambique.

He is the second senior official of president Robert Mugabe's regime to die in a road accident this month.

Border Gezi, the minister of gender and employment creation, was killed three weeks ago.

Mahachi, who had held various ministerial posts, was a key figure in Mugabe's efforts to win another six-year term next year.

He was regarded as one of the leader's most loyal and trusted officials.

As lands minister, he was responsible for rural resettlement policies which caused Britain to freeze $60 million aid after former white-owned farms were given to Mugabe's alleged supporters.

He later served as home affairs minister, responsible for the police.

Mahachi was married with three children.

His cabinet colleague Oppah Machinguri told the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation that Mahachi was travelling to his home in Zimbabwe's eastern districts when his car was in a head-on collision with another car.