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Victor Maphosa
Mash East Bureau
FAMILIES of the people who perished in a road accident which occurred on Sunday morning at the 5km peg along Chivhu-Murambinda road have thanked Government for the assistance in burying their loved ones.
Thirteen people died when a Tinboom bus driver lost control of the bus, which veered off the road, uprooted some trees before it crashed, killing passengers, and injuring many. The bus is thought to have been speeding.
Owing to the crash, 12 people died on the spot, while another died on admission to Chivhu General Hospital.
Soon after the accident, the Government declared it a national disaster, and shouldered the responsibility of burying the deceased, while rendering support to the injured.
All the deceased were conveyed to Chivhu General Hospital mortuary.
By yesterday, relatives of the deceased had collected the bodies of their families from the hospital mortuary, for their final rest.
In an interview with The Herald while collecting the body of their relative from Chivhu hospital, Mr Brighton Zimano, said Government’s intervention will go a long way in giving a befitting burial for their relative, Mrs Mariah Gwatidzo, who died in the accident.
“We were provided with transport and a coffin. Yes, we had other plans but Government’s help has been a major relief to us as a family. Now we are going to give our relative a proper burial.
“I want to thank the Government for this assistance; we really appreciate it as a family. My appeal now goes to drivers, particularly bus drivers, please be cautious when driving people, we only live once.”
They will bury their relative today in Mandinika Village, Buhera.
Mr Joram Mudondo from Gwatidzo Village again in Buhera, whose relative Mrs Flora Mulangeni was killed in the accident, pleaded with motorists to always respect the sanctity of life.
“We are thankful to the Government for this assistance, which came at the right time and will go a long way in assisting us to bury our relative properly. This kind of assistance should be commended.
“I appeal to bus drivers to avoid speeding. We cannot continue to lose people because of that; they should know kuti vanhu havasi masaga, they are human beings and should be transported with care and respect.”
District development co-ordinator for Chikomba district, Mr Michael Mariga, who was coordinating all the processes, said all the bodies had been collected.
“The Government intervention assisted most of the families in a big way. Some had funeral policies with Nyaradzo Funeral Service so they decided to stick to that policy. So all the bodies were handled with Nyaradzo except for one which was ferried by Doves funeral service.”
He added that everyone was co-operating and thanked them for that saying it made the process to be smooth.
Most relatives collected bodies on Monday night and yesterday morning only two were left, which were collected in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, police have named the 13.
They are: Lilian Vimbai Faith Taranhike (30) of Manyame Airbase; Esnath Taruvinga (75) of Mupoperi village in Buhera; Jenifer Rima(64) of Choga vilage, Chief Nerutanga, Buhera; Zakariya Makonese (51) of Chitete village under Chief Neshangwe; Irene Chikwati of Murambinda Growth Point; Beatrice Nyambira (48) from Mkuhusi Camp Depot, Avenues, Harare; Tafadzwa Rerai (30), of Mudinzwa Village, Chief Nyashanu; Gwatidzo Maria (43) of Mandinika Village, Chief Nerutanga in Buhera; Esinath Mubaiwa (62) from Kukuroja Cooperative in Hatcliffe, Harare; Matsivo Lovemore (31) of Skyview, Chivhu; Clive Zvenyika (40) from Murambinda Growth Point; Flora Malungeni (46) of Gwatidzo village, Chief Nerutanga, Buhera; and Percylin Chitondwe (36) of Murambinda Mission Hospital.
In another crash, three people died and 22 others were injured in a road accident involving a Mandaza bus near Goto business centre in Hwedza yesterday morning.
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