04 January 2021
Prosperity Sikhosana
When the country and some parts of the world were embracing the dawn of a New year, some young people met with their demise.
On New Year’s day, Blessed Paradzai allegedly took his father’s car without permission and invited his friends for a joy ride, headed for gochi gochi (Braai).
A police statement confirms that, 7 youths died and 5 were injured on the 43 km peg along Masvingo – Topora Road in the afternoon of new year’s day.
The ZRP statement reads,
“Circumstances are that a motorist who was driving a Nissan Caravan vehicle travelling towards Masvingo Town, with 11 passengers on board, lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road to the right side,
The vehicle is said to have rammed onto a tree, killing 6 people on the spot.”
Those who died on the spot include the driver, Blessed Paradzai (22) from Muzarira Village, Nomore Manyengavana (21) of Chitiyani village, Wisdom Paradzai (17) of Chikwanda village, Adwin Paradzai of Chitiyani village, Vitalis Chikati (19) of Mumbendi, Joseph Madyambwa (18) and Washington Mhikuro (17) of Muzarira Village.
The seventh person died upon admission at Masvingo General Hospital.
A source from Masvingo Mirror confirmed the named Paradzai brother stole their father’s Nissan for a “joy ride”.
It is said they bought six chickens which they intended to braai at the Lake.
“After buying the chickens and picking friends at Topora, they drove towards the Lake which is about 5km away. The road down into the Lake area is meandering and steep.
“The driver lost control of the vehicle probably due to high speed and the car veered downhill where it hit a tree and crushed into a lump of metal,” said the source.
The deceased were taken to Masvingo General Hospital for postmortem.