Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu and Lovemore Dube Zimpapers Writers
THREE Highlanders Football Club executive members died last night in a fatal road accident on the Harare-Bulawayo Highway, approximately 60 kilometres outside Bulawayo, after their Ford Raptor was involved in a severe collision that left the vehicle mangled and the occupants trapped in the wreckage.
The crash claimed the lives of Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe, vice-chairman Sifiso Siziba, treasurer Nkani Khoza, and an unidentified woman. The Highlanders officials are believed to have been travelling from Kariba, where the club lost 1-0 to ZPC Kariba in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match on Wednesday afternoon.
When our crew arrived at the scene at approximately 9.40PM, twisted metal, shattered glass, and scattered vehicle parts littered the roadway, grim evidence of the collision’s ferocity.
A few metres from the wreckage lay the carcass of a cow, believed to have been struck moments before the fatal crash. Blood, a severed arm and what looked like intestines and brain matter were strewn all over.
Preliminary reports indicate that the Ford Raptor, which was travelling towards Bulawayo, hit the animal before veering into the path of an oncoming bus, resulting in a head-on collision.
The force of the impact reportedly threw one of the occupants out of the vehicle before the victim was struck by a Nissan travelling behind.
“The lady who was in the car had her head severed off. What I saw is so tragic. They hit a cow, then they had a head-on collision with the bus; the bus driver was hurt.
“The Raptor overturned, threw out one of the occupants and crushed the woman. Two people were trapped in the car; one of them had his head open,” said one eyewitness, who declined to be named.
As rescue teams from the Bulawayo Fire Brigade worked to retrieve the bodies from the wreckage, scores of motorists slowed down or stopped, stunned by the scale of the tragedy.
Speaking to Zimpapers last night, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he could not immediately confirm the identities of the officials involved or the extent of their injuries, as police were still attending the scene.
“I can confirm that a horrific accident has occurred along the Bulawayo-Harare Highway and police are attending the scene. We understand that some people are trapped in the wreckage, but we will provide further details later tonight,” said Commissioner Nyathi.
He also expressed concern over the conduct of some members of the public, social media users and media practitioners who were circulating unverified information about the accident.
