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Fatima Bulla-Musakwa
IT was a day filled with joy, pomp and fanfare as six members of the Sithole family arrived at the Harare Polytechnic on August 7 to celebrate the success of their brother Timothy, who was graduating with a National Certificate in Computer Systems.
For them, the day began with laughter and excitement.
Just like other families, the Sitholes sat through the graduation programme to witness the capping of their loved one.
With unbridled joy, they celebrated with Timothy as he sang and danced on his big day.
Little did they know that the day would end in unimaginable horror and tragedy.
“We spent the day together just like any normal graduation day.
“Then we separated around 4pm and the rest of the family returned to Mutare.
“The family was very happy for me. I never imagined that such a day, which was supposed to be memorable, would turn into a tragedy,” Timothy said.
The family members who left for Mutare included Timothy’s three brothers — Samuel (27), Jimmy Tinashe (28) and Phillip (34) — two-year-old Laquisha and Rumbidzai Mlambo, the wife of one of the siblings.
They were travelling in a Honda Fit vehicle.
Unfortunately, they did not arrive at their destination.
They all perished when their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a Ford Ranger that had two passengers on board at the 53-kilometre peg (near Marondera) along the Harare-Mutare road at 7.20pm.
Police blamed the accident on speeding and overtaking at a blind spot.
The tragedy shocked Mutare residents where the Sitholes are well-known.
Timothy revealed that he received news of the tragic accident around 8pm.
It was one of his brothers who had stayed behind in Harare who delivered the shattering news.
“So, the news came around 8pm through one of my brothers who had remained here in Harare.
“Initially, he said reports indicated that only the baby had passed away in the accident.
“I was frantic and desperate to get more information, as my brother did not have the full details. I tried to get in touch with my three brothers who were in the vehicle, but I could not reach them,” added Timothy.
“I later received confirmation of the tragedy.
“According to the police, the car in which my brothers were travelling had moved out of the road and parked on the roadside to avoid an oncoming vehicle that was overtaking another car.
“However, the oncoming driver, who had not seen the Honda Fit, collided head-on with them.”
Timothy’s other sister-in-law was the only survivor.
The Sithole family has been struggling to come to terms with the scale of the tragedy, which cruelly snatched five family members away from them.
“It’s tough and impossible to accept but we are trying to move on with life,” Timothy said.
“It’s not something that we can forget just like that.
“It’s painful that they had come to celebrate my success and it all ended in a painful calamity. It’s difficult to accept.”
Timothy says motorists need to be careful on the road to avoid the needless loss of life.
“Drive safely. Don’t overtake when it’s not clear.
“First check and see if it’s clear to overtake, then overtake.”
The accident serves as a sombre reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of road safety.
For Zimbabwe, it was yet another tragedy on the roads.
According to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, about six people die in road traffic accidents every day, which translates to over 150 people per month, while 38 people are injured daily.
It is believed a road traffic accident is recorded every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter