Antony Chawagarira
MARONDERA – Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Tapiwa Mhona says he is still in shock following the death of businessman Wicknell Chivayo, whose helicopter crashed in Mashonaland East, killing him, his wife and four other people.
Speaking at the accident scene on Thursday, Minister Mhona said the tragedy was particularly distressing, coming barely weeks after the country was hit by the devastating Mbuya Nehanda ferry disaster on Lake Kariba.
“I am still in shock. This is another tragedy that has happened to our country, coming just months after the Kariba boat accident,” Minister Mhona said.
He was speaking as investigations and recovery operations continued at the crash site, where he was accompanied by Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Itayi Ndudzo and Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) Director-General Godfrey Mashababe.
The officials visited the scene to assess the situation and follow up on the ongoing operations following the fatal helicopter accident.
The tragedy comes less than two months after the Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on Lake Kariba on August 11, claiming scores of lives and becoming one of the country’s deadliest transport disasters. The ferry was carrying passengers between Kariba and Chalala when it overturned.
Minister Mhona said the latest tragedy had brought back painful memories of the Kariba disaster, which prompted extensive search, rescue and recovery operations as authorities worked to account for those who were on board.
The Kariba disaster also triggered investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident, with preliminary findings indicating that the ferry was carrying more people than its stated capacity.
At the Marondera crash site, authorities were meanwhile working to secure the area and facilitate investigations into the circumstances surrounding the helicopter accident.
The presence of the Transport Minister, the Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Minister and the CAAZ director-general underscored the seriousness with which authorities were treating the incident.
Chivayo, his wife and four other people died when the helicopter came down in Mashonaland East, with the crash sending shockwaves across the country.
As investigations continue, attention is now focused on establishing what caused the accident and ensuring that the recovery process is conducted properly.
For Minister Mhona, however, the immediate response was also deeply personal, as the latest tragedy brought back memories of the national trauma caused by the Kariba ferry disaster only weeks earlier.
