FIVE ZIMBABWEANS, including two children died when a Johannesburg-bound cross border Toyota Quantum collided with a Ford Fiesta along the N1 Highway near Musina, Limpopo Province in South Africa.
Sources who spoke to Chronicle said the South Africa-registered Quantum was ferrying some undocumented children to that country to spend the Christmas and New Year break with their parents.
In a telephone interview yesterday Limpopo Province Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the white Quantum had 25 passengers on board, all Johannesburg-bound when the crash happened on Friday night.
He said the South African Police Service (SAPS) was yet to verify the documentation of the children who were involved in the accident.
“The South African Police Service in Musina are investigating a case of culpable homicide which took place on December 6, 2019 at about 2200 hours along the N1 road between Beitbridge and Musina policing area.
“A white Quantum with registration number HO54SDGP, pulling a trailer was from Zimbabwe with 25 passengers going to Johannesburg. Among the passengers, there were some kids. The Ford Fiesta vehicle registration number JG71KRGP was from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe with the driver Mr Farai Hunyei and one passenger.
“Along the N1 road after Baobab Tollgate the above vehicles had a head-on collision,” he said.
“The driver in the Ford Fiesta died at the scene and his passenger died in hospital. The driver was identified as Mr Farai Hunyei from Zimbabwe. Two passengers in the Quantum died at the scene and their driver Mr Emmanuel Sibanda, also from Zimbabwe died in hospital. The total number of fatalities is five,” said Brigadier Mojapelo.
The police spokesperson said drunken driving was the suspected cause of the accident although investigations were ongoing.
“Preliminary police investigations revealed alcohol might have contributed to the collision. Investigations are still continuing,” he said.
state media