Two accidents in Mashonaland West that resulted in the deaths of five people at the weekend. On Sunday, a bus and a haulage truck collided on the Harare-Chirundu highway, killing one person and injuring four others in the process.
Both collisions are thought to have been preventable, but driver error still claims lives.

After visiting the victims and grieving families of the Banket accident, which claimed the lives of four people—three immediately on the scene on Sunday afternoon, and one injured person later—Deputy Minister Marrian Chombo of Local Government and Public Works, whose ministry houses the Department of Civil Protection, said it was alarming that the country was losing valuable lives in preventable traffic accidents.

“As Government we are concerned with the number of accidents that continue to occur on our roads. We have lost seven lives in two separate accidents in the province. I want to urge motorists to be very careful on the road and adhere to road regulations,” said Deputy Minister Chombo

One of the survivors admitted at Banket Hospital, Mr Raphel Muzondo, who had travelled from Harare to mourn his friend’s mother, said the accident occurred as a result of poor judgment.

“The driver of the bus failed to negotiate the curve which resulted in the head-on collision,” he said.

Another survivor and a relative of the old lady whose coffin was being transported to the nearby farm, Ms Sheila Chisango, said the driver of their vehicle tried to avoid the bus by swerving to the extreme left.

She is among 13 relatives and friends who were seriously injured and are currently admitted at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.

Ms Spiwe Patino who was in the other escorting vehicle, said two of those killed were in the trailer, – state media