Government has declared the Beitbridge road accident which occurred early hours of yesterday morning, a national disaster.
In a statement on behalf of the government, Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere — who visited the accident victims at Beitbridge District Hospital and toured the accident scene alongside his State Security counterpart Kembo Mohadi — said the deceased would receive State-assisted funerals with each family getting $200 cash and transport.
“Subsequent to the road traffic accident involving a haulage truck and a bus belonging to MB Transport, which occurred along the Beitbridge- Masvingo highway at the 46km peg in the early hours of April 15, I have since invoked Section 32 (c) of the Civil Protection Act Chapter 10.06 of 1989 to enable assistance to be rendered to the bereaved.”
“Each bereaved family will receive $200 ‘chema’. Further assistance is being provided by Insurance Council of
Zimbabwe who have undertaken to meet the hospital bills of the injured and mortuary facilities,” said Kasukuwere.
Contrary to early reports claiming that sixty people may have been killed in the accident, twelve people were actually killed, while 45 others injured most of them seriously when the MB Transport bus collided head-on with a haulage truck 45km outside Beitbridge town.
Minister Kasukuwere said Government was seized with the issue of dualisation and upgrading of the Beitbridge-Harare Highway with a view to reducing perennial road carnage.
The police officer in charge of crime in Beitbridge District, Assistant Commissioner Bobby Murwira, said during a Civil Protection Unit meeting
yesterday that the bus was travelling from Harare with 51 passengers on board.
“Upon reaching the 242 km along the Masvingo- Beitbridge Road, the bus hit a donkey and swerved to the side of an on-coming truck resulting in a head-on collision, that killed 10 people on the spot. Two other people died upon admission at Beitbridge
District hospital,” he said.
Asst Comm Murwira said 45 others were injured and taken to Beitbridge District Hospital where 13 were transferred to Bulawayo for further treatment.
Meanwhile, police have released seven names of the 12 victims of the accident, who include a one year, 10 months old baby. Half of them are from Dulibadzimu suburb in Beitbridge.
Those identified are: Mavis Mutizwa (28), Belinda Chapeyama (one year, 10 months baby), Elizabeth Musona (26), Melody Muchaneta Dzongodza (29) all of Beitbridge; Irene Mukuto (30) of Highfield, Harare, Alsum Masvovere (29) of Mbizo, Kwekwe
and Ranganayi Garu (23) of Chitungwiza.
In a statement yesterday, chief police
spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said those who were missing their relatives should proceed to Beitbridge District Hospital and identify the remaining unidentified five bodies.