A tragic road accident involving former Warriors midfielder and CAPS United Marketing Manager, Alois “Gaza” Bunjira, has now claimed the life of his girlfriend, Brenda Zvinorova. She passed away in Harare yesterday, three days after sustaining critical injuries in a head-on collision on the Rusape-Nyanga road. The accident, which occurred on Saturday, has now resulted in three fatalities.
Bunjira and Zvinorova were planning to get married in December. Sadly, those dreams have been shattered by this devastating turn of events.
The accident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. on Saturday, 16 August 2025, roughly eight kilometres from Rusape, near the St. Faith’s High School turnoff. According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), an Isuzu pickup truck, carrying three passengers, attempted to overtake a bus when it collided head-on with Bunjira’s oncoming BMW. Zvinorova was a passenger in Bunjira’s vehicle.
The police confirmed the details of the crash, stating: “Two people died, while three others were injured, after an Isuzu pickup truck, which had three passengers on board, tried to overtake a bus while there was an oncoming BMW vehicle. The BMW vehicle was being driven by Alois Bunjira with one passenger on board. The vehicles collided head-on, resulting in the death of two passengers from the Isuzu vehicle.”
The initial impact of the crash was devastating. Two passengers from the Isuzu pickup truck died at the scene. Bunjira, Zvinorova, and the surviving passenger from the Isuzu were immediately rushed to Rusape General Hospital. Due to the severity of her injuries, Zvinorova was later transferred to Milton Park Medical Centre in Harare on the same day. She was placed on life support.
Harare businessman, Andrew Rusike, who chairs the NetOne Albun Marathon organising team, told H-Metro that Bunjira and Zvinorova shared a deep and loving relationship. “Brenda was Alois’ fiance,” he said. “They lived together in Westgate and, because I am also Alois’ older brother, I can tell you that he planned to marry his fiance at the end of this year.”
Rusike was one of the first people to arrive at the scene of the accident. He recounted the harrowing experience of pulling Zvinorova from the wreckage. “I could see that she had suffered injuries on her hands,” he said. “When I got her out of the car, the first thing she asked me was whether her hands were still there.”
Tragically, after bravely fighting for her life for three days, Zvinorova succumbed to her injuries yesterday.
Zvinorova was an integral part of the NetOne Albun Marathon organising team. Photographs from functions related to the marathon show her at the top table, highlighting her involvement and commitment to the event. Rusike confirmed her crucial role, stating: “Brenda was the administrator of our organising committee.”
Bunjira and Zvinorova were travelling to assess whether the NetOne Albun Marathon could qualify for the Comrades Marathon. Rusike explained that the trip was business-related. “We wanted to see if the NetOne Albun Marathon could be used to qualify for the Comrades Marathon and this was the whole purpose of the trip.” He added that they had a representative from the Comrades Marathon with them, along with equipment to measure the NetOne Albun Marathon route.
“We had a representative from the Comrades Marathon and we had equipment which was supposed to be used to measure the NetOne Albun Marathon,” said Rusike. “The whole process was meant to take three days but, because of other commitments, we had squeezed it into two days − Saturday and Sunday. We left Harare early on Saturday and Alois and Brenda had already passed Rusape by about 9,30am. I was following them in another car.”
Bunjira, who was also injured in the accident, was transferred to Milton Park Medical Centre in Harare, where he is reported to be in a stable condition under observation.
The loss of Zvinorova has deeply affected both the football and athletics communities in Zimbabwe. Tributes have been pouring in, recognising her contributions to the NetOne Albun Marathon and her vibrant spirit. Messages of support have also been extended to Bunjira, as he recovers from his injuries and copes with the tragic loss of his fiancée.
Bunjira is a well-respected figure in Zimbabwean football, both for his achievements on the pitch and his commitment to sports development off the pitch. He founded the NetOne Albun Honde Valley Marathon, demonstrating his dedication to promoting athletics in the country.
The ZRP has urged motorists to exercise extreme caution when overtaking on busy highways. In their official statement, they reiterated the importance of responsible driving to prevent further accidents and loss of life.
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