Re-Visiting The Wounds Of An Anti – Malaria Control Team Tragic Road Accident

Calvin Manika

THREE years ago, hundreds of people thronged the Lupane cemetery, a graveyard adjacent to the Matabeleland North provincial heroes acre, to pay their last respects to 26 victims of a horrific road accident.

These were people from all corners of Lupane district, politicians of all stripes, community leaders, security sector and   ministry of Health and Child welfare officials.

The district medical officer, George Mutizira could not contain his tears as he made farewell remarks to one of the 21 victims of the horror crash, who had died on spot in the terrible accident the previous weekend, Saturday 2 December 2017 to be precise.

The tragic and horrific road accident claimed the lives of a malaria control team, which was on a mission to disinfect every household in Matabeleland North province when the 28 year old driver, who survived the accident, failed to negotiate a well-known dangerous curve at Jimila, near Tsholotsho business centre, along Lupane – Tsholotsho road.

 The rude and obnoxious driver had initial reduced his speed to 5 kilometres an hour in protest of over speeding complaints by the passengers.

However,  the driver later reverted to over speeding and by the time he reached the dangerous curve he was driving around120km/h.

One of the survivors said they had warned the driver on dangers of drinking while driving.

 As they were coming from Nkayi, the truck driver drank “too much” beer in Lupane and they had cautioned him against speeding on the way to Tsholotsho to no avail.

Team members were from seven districts that are Nkayi, Bubi, Tsholotsho, Umguza, Lupane, Hwange and Binga.

 The malaria control programme team which had started work on October 1 had been left with two districts, Tsholotsho and Umguza.

The truck overturned and rolled several times before landing on its roof.

 Jimila Villagers under Tshayile headman, Thanda Gumbo helped retrieve the dead bodies that were trapped underneath the truck.

 Some passengers were trapped under the Nissan UD truck for more than seven hours as villagers battled to rescue them.

The accident occurred around 9 PM at about 300 metres away from their final destination.

One of the survivors, Nkomo said he was lucky to be alive as the driver had been speeding. “I am lucky to have survived the accident and its sad 21 of my teammates went just like that. I definitely blame the driver for his rowdy behaviour and drinking habits.

 Many a time, we warned him on his reckless driving and speeding,” he said.

Like every community, the health workers were known as some hailed from the area and the surroundings villages.

It was a dark cloud covering Matabeleland North province.

The yellow overalls team was popularly known as Omafafaza.

 Asked why the ministry officials were using a UD truck instead of conventional buses, authorities had this to say: “Spray operators have always used these trucks to move from one area of operating to the other”.

However, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the tragic accident a national disaster and assured the nation that the ministry should change its mode of transport, from open trucks to buses as a measure to protect the lives of health workers.

 He also bemoaned drivers for drinking and driving.

Today, many people are dying on Zimbabwe’s roads and highways.

Official statistics from the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) indicate that at least 2 000 people die from road traffic accidents annually.

Some of the major road traffic disasters that have been recorded this year include the Nyanga accident which claimed more than 20 lives, after a truck in Gutu had a head-on collision in Kariba.

Also, there was the much publicised horror which occurred on Liberation Legacy road, formerly known as Borrowdale road in Harare, the tragic accident claimed the lives of 4 socialites including the multi-millionaire Genius ‘Ginimbi’ Kadungure.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1, 3 million people are killed on the world’s roads annually with over 50 million injured.

 Many accidents are recorded during the holidays especially the festive season.

 Despite the efforts by the police and their stakeholders, the Traffic safety Council of Zimbabwe and Vehicle Examination Department (VID) to curb accidents through traffic awareness campaigns and enforcements, accidents are still rife.

 According to the Traffic safety Council of Zimbabwe, over speeding, drinking and driving, mechanical faults and overtaking when it’s not clear are the major causes of accident