Mugabe ally escapes injury in five-car pileup

A Jeep Cherokee carrying David Parirenyatwa, the Health and Child Care minister, was damaged in a pileup yesterday involving four other vehicles in Eastlea in the capital, Harare, witnesses and police officials said.

No one suffered any injuries in the accident. Parirenyatwa, who was chauffeur-driven, said: "I am not sure how the accident occurred but you can ask my driver."

A column of five cars was passing through Eastlea Shopping Centre when the lead vehicle suddenly stopped because it developed a ball joint problem and it was rammed from behind by a Nissan Elgrande.

It was then rear-ended by Parirenyatwa's Jeep, witnesses said.

This started a chain reaction collision involving the next three cars.

The minister's Jeep triggered its airbags which popped out.

The fourth car was almost swallowed under the Jeep.

The cars were then pushed off the road to open up the road before the minister's Jeep was towed away.

Drivers of the four cars and passengers however, argued bitterly about who was wrong while giving details to the police as they suspected the driver of the first vehicle was unlicensed.