Road mishaps kill nine One person was injured and five others escaped unharmed when their car veered off the road, overturned and caught fire at the 20km peg along the Gweru-Shurugwi highway on Sunday
One person was injured and five others escaped unharmed when their car veered off the road, overturned and caught fire at the 20km peg along the Gweru-Shurugwi highway on Sunday

One person was injured and five others escaped unharmed when their car veered off the road, overturned and caught fire at the 20km peg along the Gweru-Shurugwi highway on Sunday

Nqobile Tshili in Bulawayo and Adelaide Moyo in Victoria Falls
NINE people, including the headmaster of Ndlovu Secondary School in Hwange, were killed in three separate road accidents that occurred in Bulawayo and Hwange.

Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer, Richard Peterson, confirmed two of the accidents that occurred within the metropolitan province and were attended to by the city’s emergency services.

On Sunday evening three people died on the spot after a Toyota Hilux rammed into a Mazda 626 they were travelling in resulting in the Mazda overturning. The accident occurred along the Bulawayo-Plumtree road near Mbokodo Butchery.

Last Thursday, five people died, three of them on the spot at Hamara turn off, about 20 km from Bulawayo along the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu Road when two trucks collided head on. The other person died on the way to hospital while another died upon arrival at Mpilo Central Hospital.

Peterson said in the Sunday accident involving the Mazda 626 and the Toyota Hilux truck, the Hilux driver was trying to overtake the Mazda vehicle which had indicated intention to turn right into the farms. The Toyota Hilux rammed into the Mazda 626 resulting in all the three people who were in the Mazda vehicle being thrown out. All the three died on the spot,” said Peterson.

He said the driver of the Toyota Hilux truck which later rammed into a tree, escaped with minor bruises but his three passengers were seriously injured and were rushed to United Bulawayo Hospitals.

“When our team arrived, the injured had already been taken to UBH by good samaritans,” said Peterson.

He said the Nyamandlovu accident that killed five people involved two trucks which collided head on at the 20km peg along the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu road near Hamara turn-off.

“Three people died on the spot. Two of them were trapped in the truck. The other one died on his way to hospital and the other died upon arrival at the hospital. We’re in the dark as to the latest condition of the injured people who were ferried to hospital,” said Peterson.

He said the two trucks had a combined 11 people on board when the accident occurred.

“Three people, including the driver, were on board the two- tonne truck while the other eight were in the three- tonne truck. We could, however, not establish how many were injured or killed in each truck because of the mix up,” said Peterson.

The headmaster of Ndlovu Secondary School in Hwange District, Birthwell Ndlovu, who was involved in an accident on Monday last week, died last Friday, Ndlovu sustained serious injuries when the car he was travelling in burst a rear tyre, swerved and threw him out.

He was 54.

The accident occurred at the 40km peg along the Victoria Falls-Hwange Road near Khanondo Farm, in Hwange District when a vehicle driven by Roman Catholic Priest-in-charge of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Victoria Falls, Father Wisdom Simwinde, burst a rear tyre resulting in the rear doors opening and throwing Ndlovu out.

Ndlovu, a former headmaster at Lukosi High School in the same district, died on Friday at Mpilo Central Hospital where he was admitted after being transferred from Hwange Colliery Hospital.

His younger brother, Glenn, said the family was in shock and saddened by their loss.

“My brother died in Bulawayo just 30 minutes after being admitted as he had been transferred from Hwange to Mpilo. Doctors in Hwange said he broke his ribs and they noticed after some days that blood was clotting in his lungs. He was then transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital where he died 30 minutes after being admitted,” Glenn said.

Ndlovu was Zimbabwe Teachers Association Hwange district chairman.

Zimta chief executive officer, Sifiso Ndlovu, said they had lost an important member.

“Ndlovu was a valuable member of the association. He tried his best to raise living standards and conditions of service for teachers while also helping motivate members. He has been a member of the association since his college days and his loss is a great one,” Ndlovu said.

Mourners are gathered at House Number 4827 Magwegwe West in Bulawayo. Ndlovu will be buried on Sunday at his rural home in Mtshabezi, Matabeleland South.

He is survived by three children.

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