Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba, was involved in a road traffic accident on Sunday afternoon near Mapinga along the Harare-Chirundu Highway. The incident occurred as she was returning from Chinhoyi, where she had been attending an undisclosed event.
According to government spokesman Ndavaningi Mangwana, the accident involved Justice Chigumba’s Toyota Land Cruiser and a fuel tanker. While Mangwana stated that the tanker crashed into three vehicles, including Justice Chigumba’s, witnesses at the scene have provided a different account. They claim that Justice Chigumba’s vehicle caused the collision, leading to the tanker swerving and colliding with the other vehicles.
The impact of the crash left a trail of damage on the Land Cruiser. The front left side was dented, the bonnet crushed, and the front right wheel and body moulding dislodged.
Despite the severity of the impact, the windscreen and most windows remained intact, and the airbags could be seen dangling.
A video circulating on social media shows another SUV vehicle lying on its roof, its wheels facing upwards. The extent of the damage to this vehicle and the exact number of occupants involved remains unclear, but what My Zimbabwe News has gathered so far is that she escaped unhurt while her driver suffered ‘minor injuries’. Government sources have confirmed that there were no fatalities in the incident.
📹 ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba was unhurt after her Toyota Land Cruiser collided with a fuel tanker on the Chirundu-Harare highway as she returned from Chinhoyi on Sunday, according to government spokesman Ndavaningi Mangwana. Witnesses say her vehicle caused crash pic.twitter.com/PCeV6lzbGx
— ZimLive (@zimlive) September 2, 2024
“Yesterday, @ZECzim chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba was involved in an accident on her way from Chinhoyi when a haulage tanker crashed into three vehicles including hers. There were no fatalities from the accident and Justice Chigumba was not injured,” tweeted Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Nick Mangwana.
The accident has once again brought to light the perilous state of the Harare-Chirundu Highway, a major thoroughfare connecting Zimbabwe to neighbouring Zambia. The government is currently undertaking a major rehabilitation project on the road, which began in early 2024 and is expected to cost over US$550 million. The project aims to upgrade, widen, and dualise sections of the road, install street lighting, and implement landscaping measures.
However, despite the ongoing rehabilitation efforts, the road remains a dangerous stretch for motorists. The accident involving Justice Chigumba serves as a stark reminder of the need for caution and vigilance on this road, even as the government works to improve its safety.
The ZEC, responsible for overseeing elections in Zimbabwe, has been a subject of scrutiny in recent years, with concerns raised about its impartiality and transparency. The accident involving Justice Chigumba, while unfortunate, has sparked renewed debate about the safety of Zimbabwe’s roads and the need for robust road safety measures to prevent future tragedies.
The police have yet to issue a statement regarding the accident, and investigations are ongoing.
