Ezra Sibanda, ex-Bosso executive, survives horror crash

Veteran journalist Ezra Tshisa Sibanda and former Highlanders vice-chairman Modern Ngwenya narrowly escaped death on Thursday evening after their vehicle collided with a stray bull along the Gweru-Bulawayo road.

The accident, which occurred on November 12, left their vehicle extensively damaged, but both men miraculously escaped without injuries. The bull later died from injuries sustained in the collision.

Sibanda confirmed the accident in an emotional Facebook post, describing the terrifying encounter as one of the most frightening experiences of his life.

"12 November, the day death looked us in the eyes, but God said not today," he wrote.

"There are moments in life when you come face to face with death and realise just how precious life is. It is the day we survived what could easily have been our last journey."

Recounting the events leading up to the accident, Sibanda said he had left Bulawayo at around 6am with his cousin, Modern Skhuthele Ngwenya, to attend the coronation of their village head, Madinga Sibanda, in Lower Gweru.

However, their journey was troubled from the beginning when their vehicle developed mechanical problems near Kombo.

Sibanda said the car began losing power, forcing them to stop twice to add water after suspecting that the engine was overheating.

They eventually reached Gweru, where he left the vehicle with a mechanic before hiring another car to continue their journey to Shagari.

Despite the earlier setbacks, the two managed to attend the coronation ceremony, joining hundreds of villagers and relatives who had gathered for the occasion.

After spending the afternoon celebrating, dancing and enjoying the festivities, they returned to Gweru to collect Sibanda's vehicle.

The mechanic assured them that the problem had been fixed, and at approximately 5pm, they resumed their journey to Bulawayo.

However, disaster struck when they reached a point approximately 80 kilometres along the road.

Sibanda said they were travelling behind a truck when a huge white bull suddenly appeared directly in front of their vehicle.

With the animal barely five metres away, he had almost no time to react.

"We smashed into it, applying all my defensive driving skills," he recalled.

The impact was so severe that the vehicle's airbags immediately deployed, obstructing their vision as Sibanda struggled to maintain control.

Despite the confusion and shock, he managed to prevent the vehicle from veering into a large roadside ditch before bringing it to a stop.

When the two men eventually emerged from the wreckage, they were stunned to discover that neither had suffered even a scratch.

The bull, which had been thrown onto the bonnet during the collision, reportedly managed to stand up before stumbling towards the roadside, where it later died.

Sibanda said the circumstances surrounding the animal's appearance remained a mystery.

According to him, there were no nearby homesteads, while both sides of the road were secured by strong fences, leaving motorists who stopped to assist wondering how the bull had found its way onto the highway.

He questioned why the animal had been wandering alone and how it had managed to access the road despite the fencing.

Reflecting on their survival, Sibanda attributed their escape to divine and ancestral protection.

He said he was particularly concerned about Ngwenya, who remained silent for several moments immediately after the collision.

"To Modern Skhuthele Ngwenya, I thank God that we both survived. I was deeply worried seeing you silent for some seconds," he wrote.

The journalist also expressed gratitude to relatives, friends and well-wishers who contacted them after learning about the accident.

"Your love and concern mean more than words can express," he said.

Sibanda described the experience as a powerful reminder of how quickly life can change and the importance of appreciating every moment.

"A car can be replaced, money can be recovered, but human life is irreplaceable," he wrote.

"We left home to celebrate a coronation, but returned with a testimony of survival. On 12 November, death came knocking, but God said NOT TODAY. We are alive, we are grateful, and we have another chance at life."

The accident also highlights the dangers posed by stray livestock on Zimbabwe's highways, particularly where motorists encounter animals unexpectedly and have little time to avoid collisions.