The Kwekwe businessman and owner of Steelmakers Private Limited Mr Alex Johnson, his wife Achamma and their employee who died in an accident on Wednesday, had close links to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Following the breaking news revealed by ZimEye.com Wednesday night, the ZRP has confirmed Mr Johnson was actually Mnangagwa’s business associate.
The three passed away when a Mercedes Benz E320 they were travelling in collided head-on with another vehicle of the same make along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway.
The businessman was a close associate of VP Emmerson Mnangagwa.
National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the accident, which occurred at the 196km peg near Sable Chemical Industries outside Kwekwe.
Charamba told the state media Johnson, who was travelling to Harare with his wife, was being driven by an employee, Mr Sherman Majuru. The other vehicle that was Kwekwe bound, was being driven by Mr Privilege Fundira who had two passengers.
She said preliminary investigations showed that Mr Fundira tried to overtake a vehicle in front of an oncoming vehicle resulting in the head-on collision. Snr Asst Comm Charamba said Mr Johnson and his wife died on the spot while the driver died on admission at Kwekwe General Hospital.
“I can confirm that three people died while three others were seriously injured in an accident when two vehicles, both Mercedes Benz E320 models, collided head on at the 196 km peg along Harare-Bulawayo Highway.
“The accident occurred at around 5:10pm. Two people died on the spot while the other died at Kwekwe District Hospital. “Three people from the other vehicle were seriously injured and were taken to the same hospital for treatment,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has expressed its condolences to the John0son family.
CZI CEO Mr Clifford Sileya said the organisation was deeply saddened by the untimely death of its member who was running one of the few successful businesses in the iron and steel manufacturing industry.
The organisation had a moment of silence during its breakfast meeting in Gweru in memory of Mr Johnson.
“We heard that Mr Johnson, together with his wife, passed away last night after their vehicle smashed into another vehicle which encroached into their lane near Sable Chemicals, 10 km from Kwekwe. It is really sad,” he said.