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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent

AN unlicensed driver has been fined $900 for causing the death of a 68-year-old man after he lost control of his vehicle resulting in an accident.

Polite Sibanda (29), a Lance Corporal in the Zimbabwe National Army stationed at Matobo Shooting Ranch, was carrying 40 passengers who were coming from an Apostolic church meeting when he lost control of his truck resulting in the death of Mr Stephen Moyo.

Sibanda was convicted on his own plea of guilty to driving a vehicle without a valid driver’s licence and culpable homicide by Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda. 

He was fined $900 or sentenced to five months imprisonment in case of default for both counts. In addition he was sentenced to six months imprisonment which was wholly suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.

Prosecuting, Miss Glenda Nare said the accident occurred on March 23 at around 10PM at Manama.

“On 23 March at around 10PM, Sibanda was driving a white Mercedes Benz truck with 40 passengers on board from Guyu to Kafusi along the Manama-Kafusi Road. When he got to the 96 kilometre peg in Manama area he lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road, travelled for about 10 metres in the bush before it rammed into a tree and came to a stop.

“In the process Stephen Moyo (68) who was seated in the passenger seat was thrown out of the vehicle through the door and died on the spot while the other passengers escaped unhurt. The particulars of negligence against Sibanda include travelling at an excessive speed, failure to keep a proper look out of the road ahead and failure to reduce speed, stop, exercise caution and act reasonably when an accident seemed imminent,’’ she said.

Miss Nare said police who attended the scene discovered that Sibanda did not have a valid driver’s licence resulting in his arrest. — @DubeMatutu