Kombi driver dies behind wheel in CBD scare

Gweru was plunged into mourning on Tuesday morning after a veteran commuter omnibus driver collapsed and died while driving through the city's central business district, sparking panic among passengers and bystanders.

The driver, widely known as Chamisa within the transport fraternity, was reportedly transporting commuters along his usual route when he suddenly lost consciousness behind the wheel.

Witnesses said the incident unfolded without warning, leaving the vehicle briefly moving without a driver as frightened passengers scrambled to understand what had happened.

Quick-thinking touts and members of the public reportedly rushed to the scene and managed to bring the commuter omnibus to a safe stop, preventing what could have been a serious accident in the busy city centre.

"It happened in the blink of an eye. One moment he was navigating the traffic, the next, he was gone," said a fellow transport operator.

"He was a good man, a hardworking brother who gave his life to these roads. To die like this, on duty, is just too painful to bear."

The driver was rushed to hospital for emergency medical attention but was pronounced dead on arrival.

His sudden death has shocked colleagues, passengers and members of the transport sector, many of whom described him as an experienced and respected operator who had shown no visible signs of illness before the incident.

For his family and fellow transport workers, the tragedy has left many struggling to come to terms with the loss.

The incident comes at a difficult time for the Midlands transport community, which is still reeling from a recent tragedy involving schoolchildren.

Earlier this month, seven children lost their lives in a fire involving a commuter omnibus in the Senga area of Gweru, a disaster that sparked national grief and renewed concerns about public transport safety.

The latest tragedy has intensified discussions about safety standards, emergency preparedness and the wellbeing of public transport operators who spend long hours on the road.

Commuters and transport workers have expressed concern over the succession of tragic incidents affecting the sector and have called for greater attention to driver health, vehicle safety and operational standards.

Authorities are expected to establish the cause of death through medical examinations, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident continue.

Meanwhile, tributes continue to pour in for the late driver, whose final journey ended while serving the commuters he transported daily through the streets of Gweru.