State-assisted funeral for Chaka accident victims
Story by Tafara Chikumira
The government has accorded a state-assisted funeral to the four victims who tragically lost their lives in a road accident at Chaka Business Centre.
The fatal accident, which occurred on Saturday morning, resulted from a head-on collision between a Honda Fit and a Ford Everest.
The impact caused the Ford Everest's wheel to strike 10 pedestrians who were selling their goods.
Two individuals lost their lives at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries after being admitted at Driefontein Hospital.
The Civil Protection Unit has released the names of the victims as Grace Chikwaya (38), Lisa Gwenhure (5), Lovemore Muganhu (39) and Angeline Mutsikwa (52).
Seven others injured in the accident are receiving treatment at Driefontein Hospital.
The incident has left the community in shock, with friends and relatives struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
"It was a painful moment for me as I witnessed my wife being hit by the vehicle. The speeds on the roads are a major cause for concern. She has left me with an ECD infant. She wanted to go to Masvingo for her orders when she met her fate. I am appealing to the President to deal with the issues of mushikashika. They are destroying families," said the husband to one of the victims.
"I was planning on going to Masvingo to do shopping for my child when he was hit by the accident and died. My son was my only hope and now I am left alone as a result of this accident. It's a painful situation indeed," mourned a mother.
The government says there is need to deal with errant behaviour on the roads to avoid the unnecessary loss of lives.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe’s managing director, Mr Munesu Munodawafa said, "Preliminary investigations prove that the aspect of speeding cannot be ruled out on this tragic accident. There was also disregard of road rules by the Honda Fit driver from the police report. The government has rehabilitated our roads but people are now abusing these roads with high speeds. This morning I saw about three cars that rolled and speed can not be ruled out. We need to exercise caution on our roads."
"I want to thank our President for offering the state-assisted funeral. It's a bad episode for us here in Chirumanzu. I have been appraised that the roads construction exercise is an ongoing process. There are a lot of infrastructures to be erected. In the meantime, we are appealing to people to exercise caution as they go about their businesses. People should avoid speeding in the highways,” said the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Barbra Rwodzi.
Traditional leaders say there is a need to cleanse the area between Chaka Business Centre and Mvuma town, which has become a black spot.
Chief Chirumanzu said, "The place has become a worrisome area for us in terms of accidents. We once had the same situation at Chimwavaenzi and we did some rituals there and now there are few such incidents. I believe we need to do another ceremony at the stretch to appease the ancestors. It's a worrying trend."
The incident has sparked renewed calls for road safety measures and responsible driving practices to prevent such tragedies in the future.
