By Takudziridzwa Nyama
President E.D. Mnangagwa has expressed his deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the 25 Zimbabweans who lost their lives in a head-on collision between an Urban Connect bus and a commercial haulage truck along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Highway yesterday.
” I express my deepest, heartfelt condolences to families and relatives who have lost their loved ones in this horrific crash, I also heartly and prayerfully reach out to all those injured and hospitalised, wishing them speedy recovery, said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangangwa Described the incident as horrific and heart-breaking and has appealed to all motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads to prevent such tragedies.
He also reminded government agencies responsible for road safety to work tirelessly to reduce and ultimately put an end to such incidents.
“I therefore appeal to all motorists to exercise extreme caution on our roads, for the sake of both fellow road users and themselves. All arms of the Government that are responsible for ensuring safety on our roads are thus constantly reminded to work around the clock and evoke all legal means and powers available to them, to reduce and subsequently put an end to such carnage,” he added.
In response to the disaster, the government has declared the incident a National Disaster and will provide State-assisted burial for the victims.
President Mnangagwa also urged all relevant government agencies to work tirelessly to ensure road safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.
The accident occurred at around 7 am at Lutumba tollgate, about 25 km out of Beitbridge Town, resulting in 17 deaths on the spot and eight more at the Beitbridge District Hospital.
The President’s condolence message emphasized the need for collective action to curb the loss of life on Zimbabwe’s roads.