By Aaron Gono
Last year in August, the country witnessed a widely publicized fatal mishap which took place at Chaka Business Centre in the district of Chirumhanzu, Mvuma.
Four people died when a Honda Fit failed to stop at a junction and collided with an SUV ( Sport Utility Vehicle ) which was in the highway, causing the SUV to swerve and plough into innocent bystanders. All the victims were at the station enroute to Masvingo.
Much was said about trying to minimize the accidents at Chaka. Workers from the Ministry of Roads were seen pegging would be humps, to slow down vehicles approaching the business center.
Until now we are on 5 May 2025 and another fatal accident has happened once again at the same spot.
Barely a week passes without witnessing a fatal accident taking place between Shashe and Nyamatikiti rivers. These two rivers encompass Chaka business centre, Shashe river boarders Masvingo and Midlands provinces and Nyamatikiti river is just some five kilometers away from Shashe river on your way to Harare. And Chaka business centre lies between these two deadly spots along the Masvingo- Harare highway.
Every week a fatal accident takes place between Shashe and Nyamatikiti rivers. Some accidents don’t get much attention because sometimes a single person is involved or the scribes get the story some days later, with sketchy details hindering them to write a clear story of what transpired. So this stretch of road is a deadly black spot.
Today around at 2pm, 5th of May 2025, a cross boarder bus ( Marz Transport) was on its way to Harare. According to eye witnesses, the bus was speeding and a motorist just cut in front of it. As the bus driver tried to avoid the Mazda truck, he swerved and hit a trailer of a stationary truck and again hit the car he was trying to avoid. Then the bus landed on its side, with no driver as the driver was thrown out when he hit the stationary trailer. Fortunately all of the bus passengers were rescued by residents of Chief Chaka and some revellers at the shops, although many sustained injuries and rushed to the nearby Drierfontein Mission hospital for treatment. But both drivers were in critical conditions and detained at Drierfontein Mission hospital.
This penman spoke to several residents of Chaka who openly and sadly gave their accounts of what they expect to be done at the business centre to minimize these daily carnages. One resident, David Mushonga emphasized the need for small humps like the ones at Masvingo’s Kentucky Fried Chicken ( KFC ). And another resident Timoth Zindoga Masinga highlighted that Chaka business centre is a place where truckers prefer to eat their lunch, supper, rest or relieve themselves. So he thought these places should have wider tarred roads to accommodate those who need to rest. Because right now they just pull off a little bit from the road, which hampers visibility on other motorists using the road.
Although the scribe got so many views from different people, some just wanted their names not written but their views heard. The people of Chaka need humps in the highway to reduce accidents at the business centre. Some were blaming motorists from feeder roads who just get in the highway without due diligence. But others also said accidents have no formulas, and death is inevitable. You may be clever, dull or a mediocre, but death is God’s way of sending us back to dust.
To God we Belong and to Him we Shall Return. “Mweya yavatenderi vakafa, ngaizorore murugare.”
