File picture of Auxillia Mnangagwa's motorcadeOwn Correspondent|Fact is that a seven year old boy was hit by a car on Thursday morning just outside Kwekwe town at the sprouting Simunye Gardens suburb.
At exactly about the same time that the child was hit by a car, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s motorcade was at the scene of the accident.
Initial witnesses indicated that one of her cars which was driving on the extreme right-hand side of the road hit the boy who was preparing to cross the road to fetch water on the other side of the busy highway.
Simunye Gardens is located just about two kilometres off Kwekwe CBD along the Kwekwe -Harare highway and is always a hive of activity with pedestrians crossing the busy highway.
Witnesses who shared the news on social media and local community papers insisted that one of the first lady’s vehicles was indeed involved in the accident.
Local tabloid, Midlands News, was one of the media to immediately cover the story indicating that, indeed, the First Lady’s convoy was involved in the accident.
The paper said their efforts to get a comment from ZRP Midlands Province Police Inspector Joel Goko were fruitless as he referred questions to National Spokesperson Assistant Commission Paul Nyathi who also refused to commit to comment on the accident, raising eyebrows.
Asst Comm Nyathi is reported to have requested the media to put queries in writing but later on declined commenting and preferring government spokesman Nick Mangwana to comment over it.
Screenshot of The Midlands News report on the accident. Nick Mangwana responded with a tweet over twenty four hours later claiming that the First Lady only stopped to assist at the accident scene and was not involved in it.
Some witnesses who were at the scene immediately rubbished Nick Mangwana’s version of the accident.
Meanwhile, Police have since emerged, now also dismissing as false reports suggesting that the convoy of the First Lady was involved in the accident.
Police are reiterating Mangwana’s incoherent claim that the convoy passed the accident scene a few minutes after the child had been hit by a car and stopped to assist and ensure the child was taken to hospital.
Three days after refusing to comment, Assistant Commissioner Nyathi has come out blasting the media saying media must get the correct facts.
Nyathi now draws into the fray Zvishavane-Ngezi MP, Dumezweni Mawite as being the person who was involved in the accident and not the first lady.
Asst Comm Nyathi said that at 7am Mawite was driving a Fiat Twin Cab, registration Number AEV4911, along the Harare-Bulawayo Road towards Gweru.
“On approaching the 210km peg, the vehicle hit a seven-year-old minor who was crossing the road from the western direction to the east while pushing a toy. The girl sustained serious head injuries and was initially taken to Kwekwe General Hospital and later transferred to Gweru General Hospital.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said the First Lady’s convoy only stopped to assist.
“The convoy only passed through the scene after the road traffic accident had already taken place with the First Lady offering assistance and sympathy to the victim. Her convoy was not involved in the road traffic accident at all,” he said.
However, social media witnesses issued a completely different version indicating that there were no other vehicles on the highway at the time of the accident as the convoy lead team had cleared the road for Mrs Mnangagwa to pass through. The witnesses claim that all other cars including that of the said parliamentarian stopped at the scene after the convoy had blocked the road.
In a shock move, the ZANU PF legislator has confirmed to state media that he was the one involved in the accident and the First Lady’s convoy only stopped to assist the injured child.
“Indeed, I was involved in an accident on Thursday on my way from Harare to Zvishavane. The motorcade stopped to render assistance to the injured child who lay on the tarmac. This was within minutes of the accident having occurred.
“The First Lady’s security personnel helped me to put the child in the car and ferry her to hospital,” he said.
Dumuzweni said it was wrong for people to circulate falsehoods.
He said it was regrettable to see the First Lady’s name being dragged in the mud for something she was not involved in.
“I am sorry that the First Lady’s reputation is now being soiled because of the accident I was involved in. I actually wish to thank her for stopping her convoy and facilitating that the child be taken to the hospital.
“Even when she stopped she was not aware that it was a Member of Parliament who had been involved in an accident. As a mother, she was pained to see an injured child lying on the road hence the assistance,” he said.
He further said the First Lady instructed one of her vehicles to block the road to avoid other cars from running over the child.
“When the First Lady’s convoy stopped I was still in a state of shock and the child was lying in a pool of blood. I did not know what to do and decided to wait for the police and ambulance, but Amai suggested that the child be rushed to hospital.
“She actually ordered one of her vehicles to block the road to avoid other cars from running over the child, while other security personnel rushed to call the police who were at the nearest roadblock. Once again I would like to thank the First Lady for the assistance she rendered,” he said.
He said he was assisting with medication for the child who has since been transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo.
A lot is not adding up on the accident unfortunately.