Tragic accident claims lives of NetOne engineer and 'lover'

The tragic deaths of two individuals after a NetOne vehicle was swept off Chilonga Bridge across the Runde River on Saturday have been confirmed by police. Contrary to earlier reports that both victims were NetOne employees, it has now been revealed that one of the deceased, a woman, was not employed by the telecommunications company.

The victims were identified as Samson Zvarimwa (48), a NetOne engineer, and Loice Maradze (40), a money changer from Masvingo. Maradze, who is not affiliated with NetOne, was reportedly traveling with Zvarimwa on a business trip to Chiredzi South.

Police spokesperson, Kudakwashe Dhewa, confirmed the identities of the deceased and clarified that Zvarimwa was employed at NetOne's Masvingo branch, based at Balmain Building, while Maradze was a local money changer who operated near Pick and Pay Supermarket in Masvingo.

According to investigations by The Mirror, the pair had traveled over 200 kilometers from Masvingo to Chilonga, where they had filled up diesel at a mobile base station. The incident occurred as they were returning and made the assumption that the Runde River was safe to cross, despite earlier taking a longer route through Mupapa, which is known to be safe from flooding. Unfortunately, the water level at Chilonga Bridge was higher than anticipated, and the vehicle was swept away.

Villagers who witnessed the incident used a rope to retrieve the vehicle from the flooded river, only to discover that the two occupants were trapped inside.

NetOne spokesperson, Roselyn Chisvetu, confirmed Zvarimwa's death but did not comment on the identity of the woman involved. She stated that the company would issue an official statement in due course. However, Zvarimwa's family confirmed that the engineer is survived by his wife, Diana, and their two children.

Zvarimwa's cousin, Senior Zvarimwa, confirmed that a postmortem would be conducted on Zvarimwa's body. The family of the deceased has gathered at the family home in Runyararo North West, Masvingo, where they are receiving mourners.

Zvarimwa's sister, Jessie Mandebvu, disclosed that her brother would be laid to rest in Jichidza, Nhopi area, in Zaka tomorrow. However, she said she did not know the identity of the woman who was with her brother during the tragic incident.

The community has been left in shock following the untimely deaths of Zvarimwa and Maradze. As investigations continue, the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident are expected to be further examined.