I am guilty: Driver who ‘killed’ 31 people in Proliner Bus accident

The driver of the South Africa-registered haulage truck, which side-swiped a Johannesburg-bound Proliner bus, killing 31 people on the spot and injuring 40 near Mvuma in April, has pleaded guilty.

Regis Mangwari, who had been pleading not guilty since the commencement of his trial two months ago, on Friday told Mvuma resident magistrate Mr Tayengwa Chibanda that he was now pleading guilty.

He was remanded in custody to Friday this week for sentencing.

Since Mangwari had been pleading not guilty, the State had brought in four witnesses.

In his evidence prior to the change of plea, Proliner bus driver Mr Tawanda Maoneke told the court that on approaching the 218 kilometre peg along Masvingo-Harare Highway, he saw lights of a vehicle that were in his lane.

“I drove the bus to the left to avoid a head-on collusion, but the lights of this vehicle in front of me kept on following me until our vehicles side-swiped,” he said.

Police accident evaluator Constable Gibson Botsa said Mangwari was accelerating when the accident happened. state media