Kombi overturns and kills 2 on the spot in Chivhu as Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge road death toll rises to 30

Chivhu – Two people have died and 15 others were injured after a Nissan Caravan Kombi overturned along the Harare-Masvingo Road on Saturday morning, police have confirmed. The accident, which occurred at the 156-kilometre peg near Chivhu, brings the total number of fatalities on the deadly Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway to 30 in just one week.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the tragic incident, stating: “The ZRP confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred on 15/02/25 at around 0630 hours at the 156-kilometre peg along Harare-Masvingo Road, Chivhu.”

According to the ZRP, the kombi, which was carrying 17 passengers, veered off the road before overturning and landing on its roof after a rear tyre burst. “Two people were killed while 15 others were injured when the rear tyre of a Nissan Caravan kombi burst. Subsequently, the kombi veered off the road before overturning and landing on its roof. The kombi was carrying 17 passengers,” police said.

The injured were rushed to Chivhu General Hospital for treatment, while the deceased were taken to the same hospital’s mortuary for post-mortem examinations.

This latest tragedy comes just days after two other horrific accidents on Zimbabwe’s roads. On Saturday, three people were killed in a head-on collision between a Mandaza bus and a Glen View 2 High School bus at the 40-kilometre peg along the Masvingo-Harare Road in Beatrice.

Two days prior to that, a devastating crash near Lutumba Toll Gate, along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road, claimed the lives of 25 people. Police reported that an Urban Connect bus, carrying 65 passengers, collided head-on with an Auro Transport haulage truck that had four occupants on board. The accident occurred when the bus driver attempted to overtake another vehicle, resulting in the collision with the oncoming truck. The bus was en route from Harare to Beitbridge, while the truck was travelling in the opposite direction.

The Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway, a critical artery connecting Southern Africa to the region’s busiest border, has become notorious for its high accident rate. The recent spate of fatal crashes has raised serious concerns about road safety and the need for urgent measures to address the causes of these tragedies.