Freeman Razemba and Munyaradzi Musiiwa
SEVENTEEN people were killed, while several others were injured in the last two days in road traffic accidents in Gweru and Marondera. Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday confirmed the accidents and urged motorists to avoid speeding and obey all traffic regulations.
She said of the 17 people, 12 died on Tuesday when a commuter omnibus they were travelling in veered off the road and overturned along the Gweru-Lower Gweru Road.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to confirm the death of 12 people and the injury of one person in a fatal road traffic accident, which occurred at the 46,5km peg along Gweru — Lower Gweru Road on September 1, 2015,” she said.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said on Tuesday at around 7pm, Ernest Nhlanganiso (34) was driving a Toyota Hiace kombi along Gweru-Lower Gweru Road towards Lower Gweru with 13 passengers on board.
“On approaching a curve, the driver lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and overturned once before landing on its roof across a stream.
“Ernest Nhlanganiso and 10 passengers died on the spot while the other passenger died on admission at Gweru General Hospital,” she said.
She said police had by last night identified 10 of the victims, most of them from Lower Gweru and they were Nhlanganiso, Bilet Ncube (29) of Kwekwe, Esther Ncube (68), Rejoice Sibanda (43), Gift Mapiye (32) and Johnson Mukondo (35). Others are Charity Murimwa (38), Brain Sibanda (28), Farai Marandu (49) and Cortell Mpala (24).
A witness, Mr Calisto Mguni, said the driver of the commuter omnibus appeared drunk.
“The driver of the commuter omnibus had been drinking since morning and that could have been a contributing factor,” he said.
“I was the first on the scene and I found bodies strewn around, while some were trapped in the wreckage.”
In a related incident, five people died yesterday when a commuter omnibus was involved in a head-on collision with a truck along the Harare-Mutare Road.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said three people died on the spot while two unidentified women died on admission at Marondera Provincial Hospital.
The numbers of those who had been injured could not be ascertained by last night.