A MVURWI farmer, who had been perched atop bales of tobacco in a moving truck, fell off the bales and died instantly in Concession on Friday morning .
By Simbarashe Sithole
Tonderai Madamombe (35) of Galloway Farm in Mvurwi, died after the truck he was travelling in hit a pothole and threw him off.
A witness, Shepherd Sigauke said Madamombe was guarding his tobacco bales from thieves that are wreaking havoc along the Harare-Mvurwi Highway when he slipped and fatally crushed his head.
“The now-deceased was on top of his bales which he was guarding when the truck hit a pothole; he slipped and fatally crushed his head. It is unfortunate that the driver did not see it due to darkness and continued going and discovered that he was no longer on the truck after 35km when there was now a bit of light,” Sigauke said. Acting Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Petros Masikati said he is yet to receive the report.
Speaking at a provincial fire awareness campaign recently, Officer Commanding Guruve district Chief Superintendent Robert Torevasi discouraged tobacco farmers from travelling at night.
“As police, we are discouraging tobacco farmers from sitting on top of your bales because you will be endangering your lives in case of an accident. You should not travel at night because you will be attracting robbers,” he said. A motorist, Daniel Chigunwe encouraged the police to be visible at night and arrest farmers who travel while sitting on their tobacco bales in trucks.
