Beatrice – A pall of grief has descended upon Zimbabwe following yet another horrific road accident, this time claiming three lives near Beatrice along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway this past Saturday. The collision involved a Mandaza bus travelling from Chipinge towards Harare and a Glen View High 2 school bus en route to Masvingo to transport church members.
According to officials, the tragic incident occurred mid-afternoon when the two buses collided head-on. Two of the deceased were passengers on the Mandaza bus, while the third fatality was on board the Glen View High 2 bus.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the accident in a statement released on X, stating: “The ZRP confirms a fatal road accident which occurred this afternoon at the 40-kilometre peg along Masvingo-Harare Road in Beatrice. Three people died on the spot when a Mandaza bus was involved in a head on collision with a school bus.”
Over 30 passengers, including the drivers of both buses, sustained injuries and were initially transported to Beatrice Hospital. Due to the severity of their injuries, they were subsequently transferred to Chitungwiza and Harare Hospitals for further treatment. Authorities are still assessing the full number of injured passengers.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable Felix Mhona, visited the accident scene to assess the situation. He expressed deep concern over the alarmingly high number of accidents plaguing the country’s roads.
“It’s very sad that we continue to lose lives on our roads and most of the time they could be avoided,” lamented Minister Mhona.
The bus, carrying 65 passengers, was travelling from Harare to Beitbridge, while the truck was heading in the opposite direction. Preliminary investigations suggest that the bus driver was attempting to overtake another vehicle when the collision occurred.
The death toll from that accident has since risen to 25 after one critically injured person succumbed to their injuries.
In the wake of these repeated tragedies, Minister Mhona is now contemplating revoking the licence of Urban Connect Bus Service. Speaking at a Government-led joint funeral service for the victims in Beitbridge on Friday, Minister Mhona strongly condemned the bus driver’s reckless behaviour, suggesting it may have been a contributing factor to the deadly crash.
“Why was he racing towards the toll gate? We may have to remove them from service,” he stated emphatically.
Minister Mhona also used the opportunity to address the public’s behaviour at accident scenes, urging Zimbabweans to refrain from recording videos and to await official communication from authorities.
“Let’s have respect for the dead and wait for proper transmission of messages. We are likely to cause more harm than good. We will investigate the causes of this accident and act,” he cautioned.
The recent spate of deadly bus accidents has ignited a national debate about road safety, driver competence, and the enforcement of traffic regulations. The government is under increasing pressure to take decisive action to curb the carnage on Zimbabwe’s roads and ensure the safety of its citizens.
Follow @MyZimbabweNews
