Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
THE driver and conductor of a Gweru commuter omnibus that recently caught fire and killed seven pupils in Senga suburb have been further remanded in custody to July 7 to allow for investigations to be completed.
Malcolm Elvis Cook (22) and Trinity Mudhenge (18) appeared before Gweru Magistrate Ms Deone Chiroyi facing culpable homicide charges each over the inferno that led to the death of the minors near Chirandu Business Centre in Senga two weeks ago.
Cook and Mudhenge were not asked to plead.
For the State, Mr Sibangani Dube, told the court that police investigations were still underway.
“May the accused be remanded to July 7. The matter is not yet ready for trial as investigations are not yet complete,” said Mr Dube.
The magistrate ruled that the matter be remanded to July 7 to allow for police investigations to be completed.
When the duo first appeared in court, the investigating officer Nyarai Lindiwe Makaza in her affidavit noted that investigations were still at the infancy stage as such need more time to be finished while the accused were in custody.
She said the accused persons’ release would also disturb the public order or undermine public peace and security.
“The nature of the offence and circumstances surrounding it induced sense of shock in the community.
“All the above reasons taken together will cause the accused person to abscond and become fugitive to justice and it is prudent to remand them in custody pending trial,” said Makaza.
Mr Dube told the court that allegations are that Mudhenge boarded the commuter omnibus with a jerry can holding about nine litres of petrol after the vehicle picked up pupils from several schools.
The fuel was allegedly placed behind the driver’s seat. The court heard that while the commuter omnibus was moving, fire broke out near the petrol and spread fast through the passenger compartment.
Seven children of the 32 that were in the commuter omnibus died.
The pupils killed in the fire accident were Alisha Loyo (Grade One Green, Matongo Primary School), Peter Tambo (ECD A, Matongo Primary School), Maengamhuru Thabo (Grade One Red, Matongo Primary School), Kith Makarange (ECD A, Matongo Primary School), Anotida Mawere (Grade Two Yellow, Matongo Primary School), Faith Jangara (ECD B, Senga Primary School) and Junior Albert Muchenamakumbo (ECD B, Senga Primary School).
Mr Dube said the State is alleging that the deaths of the minors resulted from negligent transportation and storage of petrol in a passenger vehicle.
President Mnangagwa declared the accident a state of disaster.
