Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba [email protected]
A tragic school commute that ended in flames has left families in Gweru shattered, with two mothers now grappling with the loss of their children after what began as an ordinary day filled with quiet unease and strange warning signs.
For Mrs Siphiwe Karingira, the morning of the tragedy started with a troubling dream she could not explain. She woke up repeatedly seeing herself tilling a maize field — an image that lingered in her mind and left her feeling deeply unsettled.
Unable to ignore the feeling, she shared the dream with her friend, Ms Nokuthula Ngwenya, as the two women prepared to go about their day. At the time, neither of them imagined that within a few hours, their lives would be changed forever.
Mrs Karingira’s child, Albert Chenamikumbi, and Ms Ngwenya’s daughter, Alisha Loyo, were among seven pupils who died when a commuter omnibus caught fire near Matongo Primary School in Senga suburb on Wednesday afternoon.
“On Tuesday night going into Wednesday morning, I kept dreaming as if I was in a field, ploughing maize repeatedly. In the morning I told Mai Amanda about it,” said Mrs Karingira in an emotional interview at Gweru Central Police Station yesterday morning.
The tragedy unfolded at around 1pm when a commuter omnibus carrying schoolchildren caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames. Of the 24 pupils on board, 17 managed to escape, but seven were trapped inside and died in the inferno.
In the hours that followed, grief-stricken parents and relatives gathered at Gweru Central Police Station, where authorities were helping them identify the charred remains of their loved ones. The atmosphere was heavy with sorrow, disbelief and shock.
Mrs Karingira said she had sensed that something was wrong even before receiving the devastating news.
“I work in town but yesterday (Wednesday) I could not go. I was weak, I could feel that something was wrong,” she said.
She spoke quietly, pausing often as she tried to hold back tears while recalling the events of that day.
According to some cultural beliefs, dreaming of tilling land or preparing a field can be linked to death or the loss of a loved one. Ms Ngwenya said she had warned her friend after hearing about the dream, though neither of them fully understood its meaning at the time.
“She told me that she had dreamt she was tilling a field. I told her that from what I had heard, such dreams can mean death,” said Ms Ngwenya, her voice shaking with emotion.
Hours later, the worst happened.
“When I received the message about the accident, I immediately informed her. She did not believe me,” said Ms Ngwenya.
The two women rushed to the scene together, hoping against hope that their children had survived. But what they found confirmed their deepest fears.
Ms Ngwenya said she could not bring herself to look at the burning vehicle.
“I didn’t even look at the kombi. I went to the school and asked my child’s friend if they had seen her leave the kombi but no one saw her,” she said quietly.
She said that although they were later told to go home, she already knew in her heart that her child had not made it.
“They were made to sit at the back because they are always the last ones to be dropped off. One of their friends forgot her satchel in her classroom and when she came back, the kombi crew made her sit in front and that’s how she survived,” she said.
The story of that surviving child has added to the heartbreak, as it shows just how close many of the pupils were to sharing the same fate.
Authorities say the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, the incident has been described as one of the worst transport tragedies involving schoolchildren in recent years. In response, President Mnangagwa declared the incident a national disaster, a move aimed at ensuring that affected families receive Government support during this difficult period.
Meanwhile, three adults who were injured in the fire — the driver, the conductor and a female passenger — have since been treated and discharged from Gweru Provincial Hospital.
Efforts to support grieving families are already underway. Gweru District Development Coordinator Mr Tarisai Mudadigwa said Government had activated emergency response systems to assist those affected.
“We have activated the Civil Protection Committee to coordinate social support. Our teams went to Matongo and Senga Primary Schools to offer counselling to the children and to help parents recover from the trauma,” Mr Mudadigwa said.
He added that authorities were working with partners to provide food and other basic needs to the bereaved families.
A one-stop centre has also been set up at Gweru Central Police Station to help families with registration and necessary documentation.
“We are facilitating DNA testing to ensure that identification of the bodies is done as a matter of urgency. Doves Funeral Services are already on the ground assisting families,” he added.
Mr Mudadigwa said Gweru City Council had also offered free burial space to families who wish to bury their children in the city.
The seven pupils, all from Senga Primary School, were burnt beyond recognition when the fire swept through the kombi near Chirandu Shops as it transported them home to Mtautsi, Daylesford and Nehosho suburbs.
As investigations continue, the focus remains on supporting grieving families and helping a shaken community come to terms with a tragedy that has left deep emotional scars.
For mothers like Mrs Karingira and Ms Ngwenya, the pain is still raw and difficult to accept. What began as a normal school day ended in unimaginable loss, leaving behind questions, sorrow and memories that will never fade.
