Pedestrian collided with Mliswa's vehicle

Former Norton legislator Temba Mliswa was involved in a road traffic accident in Harare on Tuesday after his vehicle struck a pedestrian, an incident that has since drawn public attention following his comments on social media.

Mliswa, 55, was driving a Mercedes-Benz along Prince Edward Road near Harare Polytechnic when he hit an unidentified man, witnesses said. The impact caused severe damage to the vehicle's front windscreen, and the pedestrian collapsed onto the tarmac, bleeding from the head.

Eyewitnesses said Mliswa made several frantic phone calls at the scene before police officers and an ambulance arrived. The injured pedestrian was later taken to hospital for treatment.

Police interviewed Mliswa at the scene before he was taken to Harare Central Police Station, where a statement was recorded. He was later released pending further investigations.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday evening, Mliswa claimed the accident occurred after "an inebriated pedestrian unexpectedly entered the roadway and collided with my vehicle, resulting in minor injuries."

He said he immediately alerted the authorities and requested medical assistance.

"Notably, he was able to walk by himself from the scene and appeared to be in stable condition," Mliswa wrote.

Mliswa went on to suggest that the incident highlighted what he described as "a pressing and troubling issue regarding drug and substance abuse among the youth in Zimbabwe, particularly within the central business district."

Police have not yet commented publicly on the incident. Efforts to independently verify Mliswa's claim that the pedestrian was intoxicated at the time of the crash have so far yielded no evidence to support the assertion.