27 Die in Chivhu Crash Involving Mwazha Church Congregants

Twenty-seven people have died, and seven others were injured after a commuter omnibus carrying members of the African Apostolic Church (Mwazha) collided head-on with a haulage truck along the Harare-Masvingo Road near Chivhu on Friday night.

The fatal Chivhu road accident occurred at about 8.30 pm on August 28 near Makumimavi Primary School, approximately 15 kilometres south of Chivhu. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said the crash involved a Nissan Caravan NV350 kombi carrying an unspecified number of passengers and a Volvo haulage truck.

According to police, the truck was allegedly attempting to overtake another vehicle when it collided head-on with the commuter omnibus. Seven people were injured and taken to hospital for treatment. The impact triggered a fire that engulfed the kombi, trapping some of the passengers inside.

Mwazha congregants were travelling to a church conference

Police confirmed that the passengers were members of the African Apostolic Church, popularly known as Mwazha, who were travelling from Dema to Mvuma for a church conference.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the church community, with families waiting for the identification and release of the victims’ bodies. Police said the names of those killed would be released once the bodies had been identified by their next of kin. Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Itayi Ndudzo expressed condolences to the families affected by the crash.

The scale of the tragedy has also prompted renewed concerns about road safety in Zimbabwe, particularly on major highways where heavy trucks and passenger vehicles share the road. Police have previously identified dangerous overtaking, speeding, night driving and overloaded vehicles among factors associated with serious road crashes.

Government declares State of Disaster

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has since declared the Chivhu accident a State of Disaster, allowing Government to mobilise resources to assist victims, survivors and bereaved families.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said 27 people had been confirmed dead, with 24 dying at the scene and three later succumbing to their injuries after being taken to hospital.

Seven survivors sustained critical injuries and were receiving medical treatment. The Government has also said it will assist with medical expenses and burial costs arising from the disaster. The Chivhu highway accident is among the deadliest road crashes reported in Zimbabwe in recent years and has renewed calls for greater enforcement of road safety regulations, particularly regarding dangerous overtaking and passenger transport. Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision are continuing.

Chivhu road accident