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Heather Charema and John Murwira
TWO people died on the spot while three others were seriously injured in a horrific accident at Morongora Wafa Wafa escapement yesterday morning after the haulage truck they were travelling in failed to negotiate a sharp curve and collided with an oncoming vehicle.

The accident occurred a spitting distance from the spot where a King Lion bus killed 43 people in June and hardly two days after Government and villagers held a cleansing ceremony for the June accident. Hurungwe Ward 7 councillor Mr Jealous Matesanwa confirmed the accident, which occurred around 7am.

“I am currently at the spot. A haulage truck collided with another car which was coming from Chirundu after it failed to negotiate a sharp curve at Morongora Wafa Wafa escapement. Three people were seriously injured and were ferried to Makuti Clinic by the assistant area manager for National Parks,” said Mr Matesanwa.

He said the victims had to wait for more than two hours before they could be taken to Karoi Hospital.

“We had to wait for about two-and-half hours for the ambulance which was coming from Karoi. The three patients were later ferried to Karoi Hospital,” he said.

Cllr Matesanwa criticised Karoi Hospital for refusing to hand over an ambulance, which was recently donated after the Nyamakate Bus disaster that claimed the lives of 43 people sometime this year.

“Karoi Hospital is refusing to give us the ambulance donated by the National Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe to service several accident black- spots in the area. Considering that this area is an accident hotspot, we have engaged them several times to release the ambulance so that it is stationed close to this area, but to no avail,” he said.

Mashonaland West Police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara said police were still to get the details of the accident.

“We are yet to receive details pertaining the accident. Once we get the details, we will update you,” said Insp Mabgweazara.