FIVE-YEAR-OLD Alvin Dzamara was all over the place at Lot Business Centre in Mutoko, leaving his grandmother Winnet Dzamara (59) with no choice but to monitor closely his movements. So energetic and lively was the young boy, that one cannot believe he survived a fatal crash at the age of three.
BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
Alvin is one of the survivors of the infamous Zupco-Unifreight buses disaster that claimed 27 lives at Gejo RaRuby Farm along the Harare Nyamapanda highway on January 18, 2015.
On that day, widely referred to as Bloody Sunday, the Mutoko East-bound Zupco sideswiped a Unifreight/Pioneer bus heading in the opposite direction, resulting in 25 people dying on the spot, while several others were injured. Most casualties were from the Zupco bus that had 58 passengers on board and its driver later died upon admission at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare.
Alvin was one of the passengers in the Zupco bus who escaped death, and interestingly, without even a scratch. The little boy was in the company of his grandfather, Thomas Dzamara, who unfortunately died a week later due to injuries sustained in the accident.
NewsDay recently tracked down Alvin and other survivors in Mutoko, where the little boy’s grandmother said despite the horror crash occurring at a time Alvin was only three years old, he still had memories of it and will take time for him to heal.
“The boy was traumatised since the day of the crash. It took long for him to get used to boarding a bus again as he would refuse and would cry. He would say buses are evil because they killed his grandfather. It is only this year that he is now accepting to travel by bus or any means of public transport,” Alvin’s grandmother said.
Winnet was also hurt by the loss of her husband, Thomas, but said she was grateful that her grandson, Alvin had survived. Her husband had travelled to Harare from Nyamakosa Village to fetch Alvin from his parents, only to meet his fate on their way back.
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In anticipation of reuniting with her husband and receiving her grandson, she instead felt paralysed when she received news that the two had been involved in a fatal crash.
“Alvin was under my custody here. He was going to crèche at Nyamakosa. So he had gone to Greendale to visit his parents for the holidays. My children then called and said can you come and fetch Alvin since the holidays were over,” she recalled.
Then disaster struck.
After the accident, she said, the family could not immediately locate Alvin only to receive information that he was at Juru Police Station, at a time all thought that he was among those who perished in the disaster.
“After the accident, Alvin’s father searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found. He even searched among the bodies of the people who had died, but he was not there. We also searched at Parirenyatwa where my husband was admitted, but all in vain. However, with the help of nurses, we later got to know that there was a child in police custody at Juru. His father went there and found him with no scratch. God is faithful,” she said.
According to Winnet, Alvin was seated on his grandfather’s lap and was thrown out when the accident occurred. She said her grandson’s dramatic survival means he is someone special.
“If I had money, I would make sure that he gets whatever he wants in life for he is a precious soul,” she said tearfully.
Another survivor, Tasiyana Maguma (56), told NewsDay the memories of the horror crash will not go away, and the scars on his body were a constant reminder.
Maguma, who hails from Chasambiro in Mutoko East, said he spent three months at Parirenyatwa after he was badly injured. He never thought he would walk out of the hospital.
“It is unbelievable. Life is meaningless. One minute you are here, the next you are gone. I spent three months at Parirenyatwa. I had no hope that I will sit and relax with my family and friends. I was in pain. I cannot remember what transpired on the day, what I know is that I found myself in the intensive care unit. I had deep wounds on my stomach, back and neck. But I am happy that God healed me and gave me a second chance to live,” Maguma said.
Alvin and Maguma are some of the many survivors who are bearing the brunt of post-accident trauma. A number of accident victims are left dealing with scars which are mainly psychological. According to sociologists, horror crashes are permanently imprinted on survivors’ minds and such people need support in every aspect.
After the Zupco bus disaster, Mutoko East legislator Ricky Mawere whose constituency had the highest number of fatalities, pushed a motion in Parliament in which he urged the government to come up with a special fund meant for the accident victims. He argued that a special fund just like an Aids levy should be set aside as many people are perishing on the country’s roads.
His motion seemed to have been heard as government proposed a road accident fund that is anticipated to be fully operational by 2018 to give a new lease of life to road traffic accident victims, who have been receiving a raw deal from insurance companies.
“I am happy that people are now seeing the sense of having a special fund meant for accident victims or survivors. My prayer is for the process to conclude soon so that victims are compensated as well as having money ready for medical expenses among other things,” he said.
Today, Alvin’s 25-year-old mother, Lucy, marvels at her son each time he leaves for Royal College where he is learning. At the age of three, Alvin survived one of the country’s most fatal accidents. About three years later, the young boy is still aware of how his grandfather died. His grandmother is happy that the boy is alive, but her joy is marred by Thomas’ grave which reminds her of how he failed to make it out of the horror crash on that day.
