The devastating accident that claimed seven lives at the intersection of Seke and St Patrick’s Roads in Hatfield, Harare, has been compounded by a shocking act of theft. In the midst of the chaos and grief, Terrence Mavheneke, a conductor who was present at the scene, stole the phone of one of the deceased passengers, Christable Makwanya.
The accident, which occurred on August 13, involved a Toyota Hiace kombi driven by Sergeant James Makaranga, carrying 15 passengers, and a Nissan Caravan driven by Tashinga Chihava, carrying 18 passengers. The collision, which occurred when Sergeant Makaranga lost control of his vehicle while overtaking, resulted in the immediate deaths of two passengers, Wayne Chipuriro (42) and Pecking Feliati (40). Christable Makwanya (32) succumbed to her injuries upon admission at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.
In a callous act of opportunism, Mavheneke, while ostensibly offering assistance to the injured, seized the opportunity to steal Makwanya’s phone, which had fallen to the ground. He then sold the stolen phone to Nigel Kwaramba and Godwin Chindima, who were later arrested trying to reset it at a workshop belonging to Makwanya’s relative. The relative, alerted by the suspicious activity, immediately contacted the police.
Mavheneke, appearing before Epworth magistrate Esther Mutezo, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment for his actions. Five months were suspended on condition that he doesn’t commit a similar offence, leaving seven months of his sentence effective.
The incident has sparked outrage and condemnation, with many expressing disgust at Mavheneke’s callous actions. The theft of a deceased person’s belongings is a particularly egregious act, adding insult to injury for the grieving family.
Adding to the tragedy, the accident also claimed the lives of four more victims after they were admitted to hospital. They were all males from Seke in Chitungwiza, and were identified as Lucky Gwangwanza, Andrew Chikwanda (38), Tafadzwa Sibanda (29), and Michael Munyanga (49). They were admitted to Sally Mugabe and Chitungwiza Hospitals following the horrific collision, but sadly succumbed to their injuries.
