SEVEN people died and several others were injured in two separate road accidents in Bulawayo and Lupane on Friday and yesterday morning with three of the deceased being relatives of Bulawayo property developer Mr Mngane Ncube of Hawkflight Construction.
Mr Ncube lost his elder brother, the wife and the wife’s younger sister in a road traffic accident in Hillcrest suburb in Bulawayo. The accident occurred on the intersection of Burnside and Durham roads on Friday night.
In Lupane, Matabeleland North, four pedestrians died on the spot and seven were injured when a BMW vehicle veered off the road and hit them while they were at a bus-stop. Police confirmed the two accidents yesterday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said the Hillcrest accident occurred after Mr Ncube’s younger brother who was driving a Ford Sedan, due east, turned right at an intersection in front of an oncoming Toyota Land Cruiser which was being driven by a 20-year-old Mr Daniel Van Damme along Burnside Road, due west.
Insp Simango said the three passengers in the Ford Sedan, Mr Edward Ncube and his wife and the wife’s younger sister, died on the spot and their bodies were taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals mortuary. She urged motorists to be cautious and observe road traffic rules.
According to the Ncube family spokesperson Mr Obert Masara the deceased was the elder brother to Mngane Ncube. “This was the elder brother and his name is Edward Ncube, he was 49 years old. He was in the company of his wife Mavis and her younger sister Faith from the Mbedzi family and another brother who was driving,” he said.
He said the family was going to Hillcrest to drop off Faith en route to Mr Ncube’s Burnside residence when tragedy struck. Mourners are gathered at Mr Mngane Ncube’s Burnside residence.
In the Lupane accident, National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said a BMW vehicle carrying five passengers burst its left rear tyre, veered off the road and hit five pedestrians who were at a bus-stop waiting for transport.
“Four pedestrians died on the spot and one was injured while all the six occupants of the BMW vehicle sustained injuries,” he said.
The accident occurred at the 120km peg from Bulawayo along Victoria Falls Road near St Luke’s Hospital at around 4am. Chief Supt Nyathi said it is suspected that the driver was speeding.
Names of the deceased could not be disclosed as their next of kin have not yet been notified. He said the injured persons were taken to St Luke’s Hospital and they suspect that the driver was speeding. Chief Sup Nyathi said drivers should not speed when approaching built-up areas.
“They (drivers) should not carry excessive baggage or overload passengers. We appeal to drivers to be cautious on the road,” said Chief Supt Nyathi.
Meanwhile, one person was injured in Plumtree near Figtree when a Granvia registered B596 BDH carrying seven passengers burst its tyre, veered off the road and broke into Bravo Farm on Friday night at around 10pm.
The Granvia was heading to Bulawayo from Botswana. Police in Matabeleland South could not immediately comment on the issue.