About seventy-five (75) Pakame High School learners narrowly escaped death on Sunday when their hired Inter Africa bus was involved in an accident along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway.
The bus was travelling from Harare to the school which is located in Shurugwi, Midlands Province.
ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident to NewsDay, adding that all pupils escaped unhurt, but some lost property in the fire. He said;
The accident occurred at the 181km peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway.
The accident occurred after a pirate taxi driver suddenly encroached onto his (bus driver’s) lane.
All pupils escaped, but some lost their property.
Commenting about the accident, Primary and Secondary Education Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said:
We have policies and circulars that we have put in place for school authorities and transporters to exercise maximum care with children on board to avoid such unfortunate incidents.
The Pakame High School accident comes after a Tynwald High School bus was involved in a fatal accident in Juliusdale, Nyanga on Friday, 14 October 2022 around 7 PM.
Reports suggested that the driver was speeding and failed to negotiate a sharp curve. The accident claimed the lives of six learners and one teacher.
Most road traffic accidents in Zimbabwe are attributed to human error. Drivers often make mistakes such as speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, fatigue, or distractions like mobile phones.
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