$2 police bribe kills ten people in road accident

Staff Reporter| At least ten (10) people were killed in a road horrific accident 10km outside Zvishavane on the Masvingo to Bulawayo highway yesterday.
The accident happened when a suspected drunk driver of a Honda Fit vehicle drove head-on to an approaching Toyota Noah mini bus causing an instant explosion in the process.

All eight passengers in the Honda Fit died on the spot when the vehicle caught fire and they were all burnt beyond recognition. Two people who were in the front seat of the Noah also died on the spot. Eight other people in the Noah escaped with minor injuries.
According to witnesses, the driver of the Honda Fit who was operating a pirate taxi between Masvingo and Zvishabane had been drinking beer at a local bar while waiting for his turn to load passengers.
What is shocking to witnesses is that the Honda Fit had just gone through a police roadblock. The small vehicle can only carry a maximum of five people and it’s surprising how the vehicle made it past the roadblock with eight people in it.
Police manning the road block claim that the driver of the Honda Fit who appears known to them fled past the roadblock when he was signalled to stop. A witness who claims to have been driving behind the vehicle however disputes the police story claiming that the driver of the vehicle was stopped and had a casual chat with one police officer who received a bribe from the driver.
Another pirate taxi operator who spoke to a ZimEye.com correspondent claimed that they are all aware of the roadblock and they all normally load about seven people in their small vehicles and pay a $2 bribe through the roadblocks on their way. The driver claims that the taxi operators now refer to the road block as a tollgate.