Man Loses Wife, Three Children in Chivhu Crash

Emmanuel Bonda mourns wife and three children killed in Chivhu accident

A Dema man is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife and three children in Zimbabwe’s Chivhu road accident that claimed 27 lives on Friday night. Emmanuel Bonda’s family was among members of the African Apostolic Church, popularly known as the Mwazha Church, who were travelling from Dema to Ndarikure in Mvuma for a church conference when their Nissan Caravan NV350 kombi collided head-on with a Volvo haulage truck.

The fatal Chivhu accident occurred at about 8.30 pm at the 132-kilometre peg along the Harare-Masvingo Road, near Makumimavi Primary School. Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the foreign-registered haulage truck was allegedly attempting to overtake another vehicle when it collided with the kombi. Seven people were injured in the crash. For Bonda, the tragedy began with a missed phone call. He said his wife had told him that the kombi was overloaded before leaving Dema with their children.

“She packed her clothes and those of the kids around 12, and by 2pm they were already in the kombi. One thing that she was complaining about was that the kombi was overloaded,” Bonda said.

He later tried calling her repeatedly, but her phone went unanswered.

“When I got home, I received calls from other church members who were already at the conference informing me of the accident,” he said.

Bonda travelled to the accident scene with assistance from his workmates, but was initially told that the victims had been taken to hospital.

The following day, he went to identify his family.

“The first person I identified was my son, then others. I am so hurt. Losing my entire family, just like that, is unbearable,” he said.

Another bereaved husband, Tawanda Mushonga, said he also became concerned after his wife failed to answer his calls.

Mushonga, a professional driver, said he later travelled to the crash scene after learning about the accident from colleagues.

“The driver of that kombi was trapped on the front seat, and the kombi was on fire. It was horrible,” he said.

“I saw my wife, lifeless. She was there, injured, and my heart broke. It is painful to lose someone you love dearly.”

The collision caused the kombi to catch fire, trapping several passengers inside. Twenty-seven people died, with some victims suffering burns so severe that forensic identification was required.

The tragedy has prompted renewed concern over road safety in Zimbabwe, particularly dangerous overtaking and overloaded public transport vehicles. President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the Chivhu crash a State of Disaster, allowing the Government to mobilise assistance for bereaved families and survivors. Government has pledged to meet burial-related expenses for the victims and medical costs for the seven people injured in the accident.

For families such as the Bondas and Mushongas, however, the Government assistance cannot erase the devastating loss left by one of Zimbabwe’s deadliest road accidents in recent years.

Chivhu accident