Foreseen, but it still came to pass
GOING a little further, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will,” so reads the Bible in Mathew 26:39.
In this scripture, the Bible tells us that in the Garden of Gethsemane, before being betrayed, arrested, and facing the agony of his death, Jesus prayed for the ‘cup’ to be taken away from him.
The ‘cup’ is a symbolic reference to the suffering and anguish that Jesus was about to endure.
Thus, Jesus would be required to drink the entirety of the cup, and, knowing how bitter and difficult it would be, he prayed to let the cup pass from him, if it was possible.
One cannot help but reminisce about this Biblical tale when brooding over the unpleasant events of last Thursday night’s Chimanimani Bus Disaster which occurred about five kilometres from Jopa Turn Off along the Chimanimani-Chipinge Road.
The accident, in which the bus developed brake failure and veered off the road, rolling on the mountainside several times before landing more than 200 metres down the steep and killing 29 people on the spot, saw the bus landing on its side after throwing out all the passengers.
Nine more passengers later died after succumbing to injuries sustained during the accident.
The St Charles Lwanga Secondary School bus had been hired by Zion Christian Church members from Chimanimani East, Tilbury Estate, for the Easter gathering at Mbungo Shrine in Masvingo.
However, it is the larger than life tale told by the ZCC church elders that remains, not only perplexing, but reminiscent of Christ’s experience.
While addressing mourners at Matsikenyere homestead in Biriiri, Chimanimani, ZCC Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi said: “The elders in the church tell us that they foresaw the unpleasant events that befell us. Yes, that is true. Even in the Bible in Gethsemane, Jesus knew what he was about to go through and indeed he went through it. It is God’s wish, we cannot fight against it. We surely cannot tell God not to execute things according to His plans.”
However, the physical and emotional scars of the accident remains.
Mr David Mahlanganise, the first person to arrive at the scene of the accident, said: “The accident happened before my eyes. It was around 10pm on Thursday night and I saw the bus veering off the road, literally flying down the steep terrain until in landed on its side. At first, I thought it was a haulage truck.
“I ran to the scene. When I got here, there was no one. I started rendering assistance to the survivors. I began with carrying an eight-month-old baby and handing it over to its crying mother who had fractured both legs.
“I also carried another two-year-old baby and gave it to the mother who had been thrown out of the bus. I assisted about 15 people who were badly injured. I saw Baba Mhondera under the bus, but when I returned to help him, he was already dead,” said Mr Mahlanganise.
Road traffic accidents are now a common feature around the scene of last Thursday’s accident.
Around mid-February, another accident was reported at the same spot.
In 2014 and 2016, three accidents occurred at the scene.
Just like the driver of the St Charles Lwanga bus, villagers in the area strongly believe that lack of adequate and visible roadside signage is contributing to the carnage.
From Skyline Junction, there are no roadside signs until after about 15km where there is a worn-out distance sign.
There is no roadside sign at a busy crossing point at Thontorne Primary School along the road where pedestrians and school kids cross the road often.
One will then see a bridge ahead sign at Silverstream Wattle Company Estate and then 5km from there is a sign for a curve on a sloppy terrain.
Drivers will also see the steep gradient notice which is placed less than 50 metres from the black spot where last Thursday’s accident occurred.
The only other signage along that road is for distance to the next towns.
The bus driver, Mr Mhlanganisi Khumalo, who was driving the school bus on a part time basis, said lack of adequate roadside signs contributed to the calamity.
Mr Khumalo, who was on his third trip with the bus, said he thought he would get to a different terrain after the steep gradient, only to helplessly watch as the bus veered off the road after developing break failure.
“The bus developed break failure along the curves. I thought I would be able to control it after the curves, but that was not the case as I later discovered that there was a steep gradient ahead of me.
“There was no roadside signage at that particular point. I could not control the bus as it had gathered more speed. The break failure was more of a surprise to me because everything appeared normal. After all, this was my second trip using that road. I drove to Masvingo last week using the same route, so I was confident because the bus was in good condition,” he said. In a separate hospital bedside interview, the driver’s assistant, Mr Innocent Chabara, who has 15 years’ experience in that capacity, confirmed that the bus was travelling at a high speed when the accident occurred.
“The bus was travelling at a high speed when the accident occurred. I suddenly saw the driver struggling with the brakes and the next thing we were flying down the mountainside. This was his (driver) third trip with the bus. On this route, it was his second trip. We used the same route last week while driving AFM youths who were travelling to Masvingo,” said Mr Chabara, who was battling to speak coherently owing to pain.
Mr Josphar Nechiora of Sazunza Village, next to Chiutani Village where the accident happened, was among the first people to arrive at the scene.
“We started helping children and then the elders. We finished around 4am with the rescue mission. We had assistance from Headman Chonai, Chimanimani East Member of Parliament, Cde Joshua Sacco, Wattle Company and other well-wishers. It was really sad. We carried the injured and the dead uphill so that they could be ferried to Chipinge District Hospital,” he said.
Mrs Esther Mhlanga, who lost her twoyear-old daughter in the accident and is still nursing injuries in Chipinge District Hospital said: “I was asleep when the accident occurred. I just woke up to some screams and before I could understand what was going on, I was thrown out and landed on sloppy ground on my back. I still have back pains.”
Mr Albert Mapunga, a senior teacher at St Charles Lwanga said: “The bus crew comprising the driver and his assistant came to the school to collect blankets around 8.20pm and left. The next thing was a phone call from Chabara informing me that the bus had been involved in an accident,” he said.
Burial of the victims who perished during the accident was done in different areas throughout this week.
A church service which was also attended by Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister, Cde Miriam Chombo, was held in Mutare before the bereaved started collecting their loved ones’ bodies.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Nokuthula Matsikenyere, urged motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads.
Minister Matsikenyere made the call during her visit to survivors of the accident at the various hospitals they were admitted.
“It is sad that we continue losing lives that could have helped in the development of this country. We are losing breadwinners and young children in these accidents. We really need to urge our drivers to exercise extreme caution on the roads, especially during public holidays,” said Minister Matsikenyere, who also lost her relatives during the disaster.
Bishop Mutendi consoled the bereaved and also took time to serve Holy Communion when he visited the survivors at Victoria Chitepo, Mutambara Mission and Chipinge District Hospitals as well as in Chimanimani.