Story by Mthokozisi Dube
A sombre mood has gripped Mbembesi, about 64 kilometres from Bulawayo, after a horrific crash along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway claimed the lives of three Highlanders executive members and a woman on Thursday night.
Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe, vice-chairman Fiso Sibanda and treasurer Nkani Khoza died at the scene alongside a woman who had not yet been identified.
The trio had travelled approximately 595 kilometres from Kariba before the fatal collision.
Eyewitnesses, including passengers aboard a GA Express bus from Gaborone, said the crash involved the Highlanders vehicle and a Ford Raptor after the latter struck a cow.
GA Express bus conductor Trynnage Chiyangwa said he witnessed the moments leading up to the collision.
“I was at the front, and I saw two vehicles, a Raptor and a red Toyota, speeding. In the middle, we saw a herd of cattle, and one cow crossed the road. It was hit by the Raptor, resulting in the Raptor rolling six times,” he said.
Another eyewitness said:
“I saw the two vehicles speeding, and I cannot really say what happened because I also fell unconscious.”
A local resident described the aftermath.
“I saw people lying on the ground; they were thrown from the roof of the vehicle.”
Residents said the latest tragedy has heightened concerns over the stretch of road, which they described as an accident black spot.
“This place is now cursed. Last week it was a Pathfinder bus. The other time journalists died here. It is becoming a black spot,” one resident said.
The deaths have cast a pall over the Highlanders family and Zimbabwean football, with the club losing three senior executive members in the year it celebrates its centenary.
