Apama Style School of Theatre Art (Assota)’s tour of Mozambique ended in tragedy when the group lost two members on Tuesday afternoon after a road accident that left several others injured.
Popularly known as Apama Dance Group, the dancers were en-route to Pemba, north of Mozambique, where they were scheduled to perform at the Tambo Art Camp and the VII Festival.
Speaking from Mozambique yesterday, leader of the group David Machowa said he was devastated by the crash which left him with fractured ribs and shoulder.
“It was a horrific experience,” he said.
“This was supposed to be our first foreign tour and to encounter loss of lives is the worst thing that one would ever think of.”
He identified the deceased as Never Sibanda (30) and Tenjiwe Ngwenya (20). The two were husband and wife.
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Machowa said the omnibus they were traveling in was sideswiped by a haulage truck that was travelling in the opposite direction 200km from Pemba. Another dancer Knowledge Ndlovu suffered a broken leg while several others escaped with minor injuries.
“We were supposed to be one of the biggest groups at the festival, so it is a blow to the organisers. However, they have assisted us immensely up to now,” he said.
“We are expecting to be back in Zimbabwe tomorrow (today) for funeral arrangements.” Apama Dance Group was formed by Machowa nearly eight years ago and has been performing mainly in bars, where most have likened their choreography to Bulawayo-based Iyasa.
A performance at Tambo Art Camp and the VII Festival would have been the second high-profile one after their debut at the Harare International Festival of the Arts earlier this year.
Funeral arrangements for the deceased were yet to be announced.