Family member speaks on horror crash

THE 14 people from two families who perished in an accident in Bulawayo on Wednesday night were travelling to Masvingo to bury their teenage child.

The young boy, Hopewell Masukume (14), passed away at Mpilo Central Hospital on Monday after a long illness.

The families were heading to Mwenezi for the burial which had been set for yesterday morning.

Speaking to The Chronicle, the boy's maternal grandfather, Mr Kenny Sibanda, said he heard news of the tragic accident in the morning.

"I saw the accident on the early morning news on TV and I knew it was my family as I had last spoken to them at 9PM before departure from Bulawayo. I called other relatives to seek clarification and it was confirmed they are indeed my family. It's such a loss and I'm yet to come to terms with it," said Mr Sibanda.

He said Hopewell was his daughter's son and he had been footing his medical bills since December.

"He was supposed to be in Form Two but he was no longer attending school due to illness. I was constantly buying blood for transfusion," said Mr Sibanda.

He said he survived the horror crash because his bosses did not allow him to travel for the funeral.

"They told me the only funerals I could attend were my wife's or those of my biological children, hence I failed to travel," said Mr Sibanda.

He said Hopewell's father who had separated with his daughter was now based in South Africa and was already in Mwenezi for the burial.

Mr Sibanda said among the deceased were his three children, Gift, Gracious and the boy's mother Savia, his brother Luke, ex-wife and mother to the three deceased, Rebecca Dube and her younger sister Margaret.

The other two, he said, are his niece, Sibonile Mbele and a neighbour Gladys Phiri who was accompanying the mourners.

He said among the survivors were his wife Ruth, nephew Isaac Ndlovu and niece Enert Sibanda.

"I heard that my wife's condition is stable, she suffered chest injuries. My nephew is at Mpilo where he is nursing a broken leg but I understand ukuthi kasakhulumi," said Mr Sibanda.

He said the other deceased were from the Masukume family and they had no contact with them.

Mourners are gathered at 5621 Emganwini suburb.