A 37-year-old Mutare kombi driver, who caused the death of one passenger and left 13 others injured due to reckless driving, has been convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to two months imprisonment.
Mutare magistrate Sharron Chipanga also prohibited Chamunorwa Makonya (37), who held a class two driver’s licence, from driving for the next 12 months and gave him an option to pay $200 fine, failure which he would serve 24 months in jail.
Makonya also lost his right hand in the accident which the State said was due to speeding.
It is the State case that on February 1 last year at around 3pm near the Himalaya turn off, Makonya lost control of the kombi he was driving with 16 passengers on board, due to speeding.
He struggled to control the vehicle and forced it back onto the road swerving to the right where it then overturned and landed on its side.
A toddler, Brave Muyambo (5), sustained a deep laceration on the head and died three days later at Mutare Provincial Hospital, while 13 passengers were seriously injured and were hospitalised.
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The conductor of the vehicle Simbarashe Garikai also sustained serious injuries on his left hand resulting in the loss of two fingers.
Chipanga said a deterrent sentence was proper as a warning to other would-be reckless drivers. Fletcher Karombe prosecuted.