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Fatima Bulla-Musakwa
WHAT the Marerwa family from Hwedza, Mashonaland East province, recently experienced is beyond grief.
After losing and burying their matriarch, Gogo Ketina Shandudzo Marerwa who unfortunately succumbed to cancer, their grief turned to an indescribable numbness that come with the shock of losing seven family members, whose life came to a violent end after a tragic accident that left in its wake many broken hearts and souls.
As fate would have it, the Toyota Quantum vehicle they were travelling in on their way from the funeral back to Harare on October 2 veered off the road and overturned at the 5km peg along the Hwedza-Mutiweshiri Road, claiming seven lives and injuring nine others.
The vehicle, which was carrying 13 adults and seven children, overturned several times before landing on its wheels.
Three siblings — Evans (37), Liberty (31) and Panashe (24) Marerwa — were all killed in the accident.
Lovemore Chiutsi was behind the wheel.
Mendy (12), the child of another Marerwa sibling, Cletus, and Ethel Mhina (1), a grandchild, perished as well.
Yvonne Meki (26), who was five months pregnant and married to Ignatius Marerwa, was also a victim.
For most of the family members, it still feels surreal.
Archibald Marerwa, the family spokesperson and eldest brother in the Marerwa family, said, through the accident, they had seen the cruellest side of death.
The late Evans was admired for his results-oriented approach, Liberty for being a people person, while Panashe was known for his humility.
Meki had been assimilated into the family as a loved daughter-in-law, while young Mendy and Ethel were full of life.
Archibald could also have been a victim had one of his brothers not persuaded him to stay behind.
The heart-breaking news of the accident that could have claimed his life came to him in the worst possible way — through an anonymous phone call.
“An unknown number came through my phone and on answering the voice on the other side of the line just said all the people who left the Marerwa homestead after a funeral had perished,” said Archibald, as he fought back the tears.
“My phone was on loudspeaker; everyone who was with me heard the news and immediately broke down.”
Some relatives naturally passed out as they couldn’t take such unconscionably grim news.
There are, however, still questions of what caused the crash.
The vehicle’s tracker indicated it was travelling at 80km per hour, well below the speed limit of 120km/h.
Chiutsi, who was a seasoned driver, had driven on same road several times before.
Fatigue from the exertion that comes with funerals may have been a factor.
The family is still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
“We lost breadwinners and now we need help caring for the orphans.
As a family, we have always helped each other, but this situation is different — it’s overwhelming,” said Archibald.
“There are circumstances like this where you see that it is a tough call, especially for the widows left behind.
“We are traumatised, and we need assistance to find strength to go on because we have never gone through such an experience.”
While some family members have been discharged from hospital, medical bills and other costs continue to pile up.
The seven victims were buried last week with State assistance, which included coffins, medication for the injured and groceries for the grieving family.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona; Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tino Machakaire; Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East Dr Aplonia Munzverengwi represented the Government.
The Marerwa family tragedy has heightened calls for Government to set up a Road Accident Fund to provide insurance for accident victims and their families.
In July, Minister Mhona announced plans to set up such a fund, which would not only provide cover for accident victims but also work to prevent accidents before they happen.
Mr Tatenda Chinoda, a regional Roads for Life champion, said preventing accidents was the best way of preventing such tragedies.
“We don’t want to invest in death but in prevention of death,” he said.
“We must invest in better roads, improved driver attitudes and better vehicle standards, along with strict enforcement.”
He called for the road accident fund to allocate 70 percent of its resources to accident prevention initiatives such as education, road safety engineering and emergency responses.
This devastating Marerwa tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the perilous dangers that continue to lurk on local roads.
For most observers, the tragedy should not be seen as an isolated incident but as a wake-up call for all road users in the country, underscoring the urgent need for increased awareness, stricter enforcement of road safety regulations and a collective responsibility to protect lives.
Online Reporter