adminNqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
TWO pupils from St Anna Secondary School in Matabeleland South’s Matobo District died while five others were injured in a road accident on Saturday.
The pupils were coming from a schools sports competition when the tragedy occurred.
Details on the incident were sketchy yesterday.
Matabeleland South acting Provincial Education Director Mr Lifias Masukume said the learners were not using a school authorised vehicle when disaster struck. “I don’t have the finer details as to how the accident occurred. But I’m reliably informed that we lost two of our learners while five others were injured. These children were hiking back home when the accident occurred. I believe they were travelling in a pick-up truck when the crash occurred,” said Mr Masukume.
“The vehicle was not hired by the school as it was also carrying school leavers. The pupils were not part of the school team but they had gone there just to support.”
He said the driver of the vehicle was said to be hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit at United Bulawayo Hospitals.
Mr Masukume said as a Ministry they are saddened by the death of the students.
He urged pupils to desist from hiking saying if they are to attend any schools programmes they have to use school authorised vehicles.
“It is not expected for the pupils to use private vehicles, because as the school we do not know what happens in these cars. We don’t know whether its driver was drinking alcohol or not. There was no supervision from school authorities when the crash occurred,” he said.
Sources said the two pupils who died are girls doing Form 3.
@nqotshili
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter