HARARE, Aug. 13 (NewsDay Live) — A 26-year-old kombi driver has been jailed for 10 months after being convicted of culpable homicide over a crash that killed two passengers on the Harare-Mutare highway.
Brendon Boilers Chando of Cleveland Brookside, Harare, was sentenced by a Rusape magistrate to 15 months in prison, with five months suspended for five years. He was also barred from driving for two years and had his licence cancelled, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said.
The court heard that on Sept. 20, 2025, at about 2pm, Chando was driving a Toyota Hiace carrying 14 passengers when he attempted to overtake at the 138km peg.
He spotted an oncoming vehicle while overtaking and, in trying to avoid a head-on collision, lost control, veered off the road and hit a ditch before the kombi landed on its side.
Two passengers died at the scene, while another sustained serious injuries.
The State proved that Chando was speeding, failed to take reasonable evasive action when the collision appeared imminent and did not keep a proper lookout, resulting in his conviction.
The conviction comes amid a string of fatal crashes and related convictions along the Harare-Mutare highway.
In October 2025, a Chegutu-bound driver was jailed for eight months after swerving off the road and fatally striking a pedestrian near the same route.
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A Chitungwiza truck driver was also fined and had his licence cancelled after killing a hitchhiker at the 169km peg in 2022.
The NPAZ reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on reckless driving, saying the criminal justice system had a duty to protect all road users and that offenders would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
