Husband-to-be, wedding entourage killed in tragic highway crash
A journey meant to seal a union and celebrate tradition ended in heartbreak after a groom-to-be and members of his wedding delegation were killed in a fatal road accident last week.
Ngonidzashe Gift Simango, 25, was travelling from Nyanga to Ruwa on December 23 to pay his roora and formally conclude marriage rites with his fiancée. He was accompanied by his church deacon, Taurai Kaseke, 30; his best friend, Ngoni Mutsoka, 28; and his younger sister, Caroline Simango, 22.
Their Nissan Note was involved in a head-on collision with a Mozambican-registered haulage truck at the Mufusire Uphill area in Headlands, a stretch of road notorious for accidents. Simango, Kaseke and Mutsoka died instantly, while Caroline sustained critical injuries.
The incident plunged the Nyangani Park community into mourning just days before Christmas. Family spokesperson Godwin Simango confirmed the deaths and described the devastation caused by the tragedy.
“We lost our son, Gift Simango, together with his church deacon and friend. It is a painful loss for our family, especially as they were travelling to marry in Ruwa. The prospective in-laws were already waiting and were devastated when they heard of the accident,” he said.
He added that Caroline was initially taken to Marondera Provincial Hospital before being transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where she is receiving specialist treatment.
The truck driver, 42-year-old Kenyan national Ibrahim Alibashire Adanw, has been charged with three counts of culpable homicide. He appeared before the Rusape Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty.
Prosecutor Faith Mutukwa told the court that the accused admitted to overtaking into oncoming traffic at excessive speed, failing to keep a proper lookout and taking no evasive action before the collision. The court heard that he encroached into the opposite lane, causing the fatal crash.
Adanw is expected back in court on January 5, 2026, for sentencing.
The victims were buried in quick succession, casting a shadow over the festive season. Simango was laid to rest in Nyanga on December 25, the same day Mutsoka was buried in Harare, while Kaseke was buried in Nyanga on December 26.
The tragedy comes amid a surge in road fatalities nationwide. The Zimbabwe Republic Police reported that at least 100 people died in road accidents between December 15 and 26, 2025, compared to 77 deaths recorded during the same period in 2024, with excessive speed cited as a major cause.
