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Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
THE remaining four victims, part of the 11 people who died in a horrific accident that occurred in Kamativi on Thursday involving church members who were on their way to Hwange from Binga, have been identified.

Area councillor of Ward 3 in Binga, Mr Phineas Ngwenya, from whose village 10 of the victims came from, identified the four as Monica Mutale, Salia Muchimba, Meloni Mudenda and Meria Sileli.

The 11th person was from Ward 4 in the same district.

On Saturday, National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba identified the other seven as Clemence Dube (31), of Chonga Village, Soul Sibanda (34) of Chabota, Fungai Sibanda (28) of Chabota, Prudence Dube, a juvenile aged six of Chonga, Redeemer Mudenda, a three-year-old from Nambekwa 2, Itai Muleya (38) of Negangara and Alpha Muleya (37) of Mage all under Chief Siabuwa in Binga.

Speaking in a telephone interview, Clr Ngwenya, who attended a mass church service for the accident victims, said the deceased were buried yesterday.

He said the Government had donated $200 to each of the bereaved families to assist towards their burial.

“We are in the middle of a church service at the First Apostolic Faith Mission church in Ward 3 where we are sending off our fellow brothers, sisters and children who left us on Thursday.

“I am grateful to everyone who offered burial assistance to the departed as well as those who are still hospitalised. 119 people were injured and had all been admitted to various hospitals, with some having been transferred to as far as Bulawayo. However, the situation is still bad as many are still in critical condition,” said the ward councillor.

Eleven members of the First Apostolic Faith Mission church died in the accident which also injured 119 others when a lorry they were travelling in burst a tyre and veered off the road and plunged into a gorge in Kamativi.

The accident occurred at about 4AM when an Iveco 10-tonne truck the church members were travelling in, which had 130 people on board, developed a mechanical fault and veered off the road at the 26 kilometre peg between Gwayi and Kamativi.

The church members were travelling from Siabuwa in Binga to Hwange for a church conference.

Ten of the members died on the spot while the 11th person died on admission to hospital.

The police bemoaned the fact that lives were still being lost on the country’s roads by drivers travelling late at night.

The Minister of State for Matabeleland North province, Ambassador Cain Mathema, on Friday visited accident victims at the Colliery Hospital and St Patrick’s Hospital in Hwange.

Min Mathema was accompanied by members of the Department of Civil Protection as well as church leaders from the True Apostolic Mission.

He urged the leadership of churches to ensure safe travel arrangements and well serviced vehicles for congregants.

“I want to praise the Civil Protection Unit, the Government, surrounding hospitals and funeral parlours within the area that chipped in to assist the families in such a time of crisis.

“As I speak, a quarter of the injured have been transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo for further management while others are still admitted to Colliery Hospital, St Patrick’s Hospital in Hwange and Kamativi Clinic,” he said.

A similar dark cloud befell Binga District in 1979 when a bus plunged into Gwayi Bridge around this same area, leaving only one survivor.

A five-year-old child was found on top of the bus and since then this is the second accident of such magnitude.

@winnie_masara