Tinaye Agere
Sunday Mail Reporters
IN what was largely a dark week for Zimbabwe, 14 people died, while 39 others were injured in road traffic accidents between Friday and yesterday, with nine of them perishing in a head-on collision involving two buses on the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.
In yesterday’s crash, which claimed nine people around 1am, a Blue Circle bus and a City bus collided after one of them reportedly hit a donkey and encroached into the oncoming traffic lane, according to witnesses.
Eight of those injured, who were in a critical condition, were admitted to United Bulawayo Hospitals.
On Friday, a Homan Sino truck similarly collided head-on with a Toyota Aqua on the Harare-Bulawayo road, leading to five deaths.
Last night, police released some names of the victims from both accidents.
The five victims who were killed along the Harare–Bulawayo Road were identified as Tsungirirai Joe (57), Mitchel Maticha (22), Stabile Nothando Moyo (33), Everjoice Ngwenya (38) all females from Kwekwe and Lesley Mugwidi (29), a male, also from Kwekwe.
Names of five of the nine victims who died in the Beitbridge accident are Taurai Muketiwa (Blue Circle Bus Company assistant driver), Mudarikwa Netsai (40) from Chegutu, Rangarirai Mbizvo (43) from Beitbridge, Miriam Majengu (age not given) from Macheke and Clever Chikare (age not given) of Phase 2 Damafalls, Harare.
The other four victims were yet to be identified by their next of kin.
SA bodies repatriation begins
The accidents come at a time when Zimbabweans are still mourning the death of 13 people who lost their lives when a Simplex bus collided with a haulage truck on the N1 Highway, near Hex River Pass, in Western Cape, South Africa, last weekend.
Last night, Zimbabwe’s Consul General in Cape Town, Ms Esther Mudambo said their bodies will begin to be repatriated this week.
“It is anticipated that funeral parlour vehicles, repatriating our beloved nationals, will likely depart Cape Town tomorrow (today),” she said.
“The Consulate has processed and facilitated paperwork for the repatriation of the deceased. It is also issuing gratis temporary travelling documents to relatives accompanying their loved ones home to their final resting places.”
Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said: “The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirms a fatal road traffic accident in which five people were killed when a Homan Sino truck carrying two passengers collided head-on with a Toyota Aqua vehicle, which had four passengers on board.
“The incident occurred at the 191-kilometre peg along Harare-Bulawayo Road on March 15, 2024, at around 3pm. The bodies of the victims were taken to Kwekwe General Hospital for post-mortem.
“In another fatal road traffic accident that occurred on March 16, 2024, at around 1am, at the 267-kilometre peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge Road, nine people were killed and 39 others sustained injuries in a head-on collision between a Blue Circle bus and a City bus. The bodies of the victims were taken to Beitbridge District General Hospital mortuary for post-mortem, while the injured are admitted at the same hospital.”
Beitbridge District Civil Protection Committee chairperson, Mrs Sikhangezile Mafu Moyo, who is also the District Development Coordinator said seven of the victims died on the spot, while two died upon admission at Beitbridge hospital.
“Eight people who were critical have been transferred to Bulawayo, while the other 30 are being attended to at the local Hospital,” she said.
Blue Circle director, Mr Roy Gonyora, said the accident was devastating and the company would reach out to the grieving families to offer assistance.
Officials from City Bus could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Online Reporter