HARARE – The Robert Mugabe Highway is often a route of hope, a conduit for commerce and, for many, a path toward spiritual enlightenment. But on a recent Saturday evening, at the 54-kilometre peg between Murombedzi and Norton, that hope was extinguished in a tangle of metal and a chorus of screams. What began as a sacred pilgrimage for members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) ended in a scene of devastation that has once again cast a dark shadow over the safety of Zimbabwe’s road networks.
As the sun dipped below the horizon at approximately 7:30 pm on 28 March 2026, a bus carrying faithful congregants toward the Mbungo Holy Shrine in Masvingo ground to a halt. A mechanical fault, the silent predator of the Zimbabwean commuter, had forced the driver to pull over. Following standard safety intuition, the passengers disembarked, seeking the perceived safety of the roadside while they waited for assistance. They were standing on the verge, perhaps sharing prayers or quiet conversation, unaware that a Tata truck pulling a trailer was barreling toward them through the gathering gloom.
According to Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Mashonaland West spokesperson, Inspector Ian Kohwera, the tragedy was born from a split-second decision. “In a tragic turn of events, a Tata truck pulling a trailer approached the scene and attempted to avoid the stationary bus’s trailer that was partly encroaching onto the roadway,” Inspector Kohwera stated. “In the process, the driver swerved to the left side of the road, where several passengers had gathered, and struck four people.”
The impact was catastrophic. Two congregants were killed instantly, their journey to the holy shrine ending abruptly on the cold tarmac. Two others were rushed to Father O’Hea Hospital in Kutama with critical injuries. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, one of the victims succumbed shortly after admission, bringing the death toll from this single incident to three. The truck driver and one surviving passenger remain in hospital, nursing injuries that may heal long before the psychological scars of that night begin to fade.
This horror on the Norton-Murombedzi Road was not an isolated event. It was merely one chapter in a weekend of carnage that has left families across the nation reeling. Just hours earlier, in the heart of the capital, another life was snuffed out in a display of cowardice that has become all too common on Harare’s streets.
At 5:30 am on the same Saturday, as the city was beginning to wake, 48-year-old Everson Masuka was driving a Nissan Hardbody along Samora Machel Avenue near the Harare Showground. In an attempt to avoid a collision with a vehicle in front of him, Masuka allegedly swerved to the left. There, he struck a 45-year-old man who was simply walking along the roadside.
The details provided by National Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi are harrowing. “The victim was dragged underneath the vehicle for approximately 20 metres,” Commissioner Nyathi revealed. “He sustained severe head injuries and fractured legs. He died on the spot.”
Instead of stopping to render aid or face the consequences of his actions, Masuka sped off into the morning mist, leaving the mangled body of his victim behind. His flight from justice was short-lived, however, as police tracked him down and placed him under arrest. He now faces the full weight of the law, but for the family of the 45-year-old pedestrian, no amount of legal retribution can fill the void left by his sudden and violent departure.
These incidents are part of a broader, more terrifying trend. Investigative research into recent ZRP data reveals that road traffic accidents in Zimbabwe are on a steep and deadly incline. During the 2025 festive season alone, the number of accidents more than doubled compared to the previous year. A staggering 2,412 incidents were recorded, resulting in 100 fatalities—a sharp rise from the 77 deaths recorded during the same period in 2024.
The first quarter of 2025 saw over 12,800 reported accidents nationwide. While some officials pointed to a slight percentage decrease in total volume at the start of that year, the lethality of the crashes that do occur remains a point of national crisis. The weekend’s events serve as a grim reminder that behind every statistic is a human story—a father walking to work, a grandmother on a spiritual journey, a young man with his whole life ahead of him.
At Father O’Hea Hospital, the atmosphere is one of somber reflection. The bodies of the ZCC members await post-mortem examinations, while the survivors grapple with the reality of what they witnessed. The names of the deceased are being withheld until all next of kin have been formally notified, a process that is as painful as it is necessary.
The timing of these accidents is particularly poignant. Zimbabwe is currently entering a high-traffic period, with the Easter holidays and school closures converging. This period historically sees a spike in road fatalities as thousands take to the highways to visit family or attend religious gatherings.
In response to the weekend’s tragedies, Inspector Kohwera issued a stern warning to the motoring public. “Drivers must remain vigilant at all times. In the event of a breakdown, proper warning signs should be placed to alert other road users,” he urged. “Vehicle owners must also ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy to help prevent such tragic incidents.”
However, for many critics, the issue goes beyond individual driver vigilance. The state of Zimbabwe’s highways, the prevalence of unroadworthy “chicken buses” and haulage trucks, and the often-lax enforcement of traffic laws are all contributing factors to the “horror” that has become a staple of the local news cycle. The fact that a stationary bus on a major highway could lead to three deaths suggests a failure in the system—be it in the lack of adequate breakdown lanes, poor lighting, or the desperate mechanical state of the vehicles themselves.
Commissioner Nyathi confirmed that investigations into both the Norton-Murombedzi crash and the Samora Machel hit-and-run are ongoing. “The ZRP reports a fatal road traffic accident which occurred at the 54 km peg along the Norton–Murombedzi Road on March 28, 2026 at approximately 1930 hours,” he reiterated, underscoring the official record of a night that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
As the nation prepares for the Easter break, the police have announced a heightened state of vigilance. Roadblocks, stop-and-search blitzes, and increased patrols are expected across all major routes. The ZRP has made it clear that no vehicle without proper registration plates will be allowed to pass through checkpoints, an effort to curb the “hit-and-run” culture that Everson Masuka briefly attempted to join.
Yet, as the families of the three ZCC members and the unnamed pedestrian begin the arduous process of planning funerals, the question remains: how many more lives must be sacrificed on the altar of road negligence before real change is enacted? The Mbungo Holy Shrine remains a destination for the faithful, but for three of its followers, the journey ended not in prayer, but in a tragedy that has left a community in mourning and a nation searching for answers.
The Robert Mugabe Highway continues to hum with the sound of engines, but for those who passed the 54-kilometre peg on Saturday night, the silence of the aftermath is what lingers. It is a silence that speaks volumes about the fragility of life and the urgent need for a collective overhaul of road safety in Zimbabwe.
For now, the investigations continue, the survivors heal, and the dead are counted. But in a country where festive season fatalities have doubled in a single year, the “horror crash” is no longer an anomaly—it is an epidemic. And until the root causes of these incidents are addressed with more than just warnings and roadblocks, the blood on the asphalt will continue to cry out for justice and for change.
Key Statistics and Recent Incidents:
- 2025 Festive Season: 100 deaths from 2,412 accidents (up from 77 deaths in 2024).
- Q1 2025: 12,808 road traffic accidents reported nationwide.
- March 28, 2026: 3 ZCC members killed on Norton-Murombedzi Road; 1 pedestrian killed in Samora Machel hit-and-run.
- Easter 2025: 384 accidents recorded during the Easter and Independence holiday period.
Safety Reminders from ZRP:
- Ensure vehicle roadworthiness before long trips.
- Always use hazard triangles and warning signs during breakdowns.
- Exercise extreme caution during high-traffic holiday periods.
- Adhere strictly to speed limits and avoid driving while fatigued.
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