Remember Deketeke
Herald Correspondent
A DARK cloud hung over the Chitungwiza community yesterday following a horrific crash at Manyame Bridge, near St Mary’s Police Station, which claimed 17 lives.
The collision between a fully-loaded city-bound 30-tonne haulage truck and a commuter omnibus heading to Chitungwiza left blood, twisted metal, shattered glass and heartbreak in its wake.
What began as an ordinary day ended in unimaginable tragedy, plunging the town into mourning and struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss.
The commuter omnibus was reduced to a crumpled shell, its roof and frame flattened under the weight of the haulage vehicle.
The front of the truck was mangled, the windscreen smashed and bumper buckled, but it was the kombi that absorbed the full force of the impact.
So severe was the impact that it took three cranes to lift the trailer to retrieve bodies that were trapped underneath.
By the time the news crew arrived, nine bodies had already been retrieved from the accident scene with two being pedestrians while three who were injured were rushed to hospital.
Later, eight bodies were retrieved when the trailer was lifted by the cranes.
A heavy, metallic scent lingered in the air, fresh blood, diesel and shattered glass blending into something disturbingly raw.
Even from 10 metres away, the smell of death clung to the wind.
The bodies, though not yet decayed, released a strong, almost suffocating odour — sharp, warm and unnatural. It was the scent of life suddenly and violently cut short.
Those nearby instinctively stepped back, some covering their faces, others frozen in silence. The smell alone told a story too grim for words.
Mr Tamuka Kajinga, an eyewitness, said the tragedy unfolded in seconds, when a light vehicle unexpectedly encroached into the haulage truck’s path.
“The accident was triggered by a Honda Fit vehicle doing mushikashika errands that suddenly veered into the haulage truck’s lane, leaving the truck driver with no choice but to swerve,” he recounted.
“In trying to avoid a direct hit, the driver ended up crashing into oncoming traffic, it was horrifying to watch.”
Another eyewitness Tinashe Marumbwa said: “From what I saw, the 30-tonne truck seemed to develop a fault, it looked like something snapped underneath just before impact.
“Probably caused by the Honda Fit; which made the truck unstable. You could hear a loud metallic sound, possibly the prop shaft breaking, as it veered off course.”
Mr Jim Makaniki, visibly shaken by the accident, said the crash was among the worst he had ever witnessed.
“This is one of the most disturbing accidents I’ve seen in my life. It’s something that will haunt me for a long time,” he said.
“I urge churches and their leaders to hold prayers for all the drivers who use this road, it has become a death trap.
“The ZRP confirms a road traffic accident that occurred this morning along Chitungwiza Road involving a haulage truck and a kombi which resulted in the death of 17 people, 10 women and Seven men,” he said.
Among the 17 dead he added were two pedestrians.
In a statement by the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) extended their condolences to the seventeen lives in the tragic accidents.
“We extend their profound and heartfelt condolences to the families and the nation of Zimbabwe on the devastating loss of seventeen lives in a tragic road traffic accident that occurred on the 22nd of July 2025 at the Manyame Bridge in Chitungwiza,” reads the statement.
The ICZ added: “The lorry involved in the accident had COMESA Yellow Card insurance and the commuter omnibus was compliant with the Road Traffic Act Motor Cover and Public Passenger Liability”.
“ICZ immediately activated the insurance cover and contracted a funeral parlour to provide comprehensive funeral and burial services for all the deceased within the borders of Zimbabwe.”
The beneficiaries or the next of kin, reads the ICZ statement, are advised to contact the ICZ on Toll Free Number 591 for processing of the insurance compensation benefits as provided by the Road Traffic Act.
The ICZ added that the Call Centre Staff will provide guidance in swiftly accessing the relevant benefits.
“The ICZ, in liaison with the Civil Protection Unit and the Zimbabwe Republic Police, is making concerted effort towards the provision of necessary assistance to the families of the deceased,” reads the statement.
“The ICZ and its members stand in solidarity with the nation in this period of mourning. We remain committed to upholding our promise of support and financial relief to the bereaved through insurance compensation.”
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