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Herald Reporter

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona has sent condolences to families of the 21 people who died in a road traffic accident along the Masvingo-Zvishavane Highway yesterday.

The 21 were killed when a Toyota Granvia burst a tyre and collided head-on with a Toyota Wish at the 61km peg near Chitowa business centre just after Mhandamabwe.

Eighteen of the people died on the spot, while three others died on admission to Zvishavane District Hospital.

“We are deeply saddened by this accident that claimed the lives of 21 people along the Masvingo-Zvishavane Highway yesterday,” Minister Mhona wrote on his tweeter handle.

“Our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their beloved ones in this tragic accident.”

The Toyota Granvia, which was travelling from Masvingo, had a tyre burst and rammed into the Toyota Wish which was coming from Zvishavane.

This was the most fatal single road accident so far this year.

Masvingo police commanders today afternoon visited the site of the horror road accident, with police vowing to ruthlessly clampdown on pirate taxis and road unworthy vehicles together with Covid-19 lockdown violators.

Assistant Commissioners Florence Marume and Fredrick Mbengwa visited the crash site as part of ongoing police investigations to establish the actual circumstances behind the carnage.

The two senior Masvingo police commanders, who were accompanied by provincial police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa, took time to talk to some of the witnesses and relatives of the deceased who were at the scene trying to come to terms with the horror crash.

Speaking at the scene, Inspector Dhewa said police were on an all-out war against unregistered pirate taxis and lockdown violators.

He warned pirate taxis violating lockdown rules and circumventing police checkpoints by using bushy roads that their time was up.

Inspector Dhewa said investigations were still underway to establish the cause of the crash.