Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a State of Disaster following a devastating road crash that killed 27 people, many of them members of the African Apostolic Church, near Chivhu.

The collision happened along the Harare-Masvingo Highway near Honeyspruit Bridge in Chikomba District, about 130 kilometres south of Harare.

A Nissan Caravan NV350 minibus carrying church members collided head-on with a Volvo haulage truck before bursting into flames. Seven other people were critically injured.

Mnangagwa declares State of Disaster

The Zimbabwean government confirmed that Mnangagwa had invoked the country’s Civil Protection Act and declared the crash a State of Disaster.

The declaration allows authorities to mobilise additional resources to assist survivors and the families of those killed.

The government has also committed to covering medical expenses for the injured and providing assistance towards funeral and burial costs.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said authorities were coordinating emergency assistance following the mass-casualty crash.

Victims were travelling to church gathering

Police said the minibus was carrying worshippers from the African Apostolic Church who were travelling from Dema towards Mvuma for a religious gathering when the crash occurred.

Preliminary information from the Zimbabwe Republic Police indicates that the haulage truck was attempting to overtake another vehicle when it collided head-on with the minibus.

Police investigations into the exact circumstances surrounding the collision are continuing.

Minibus burst into flames

The impact triggered an intense fire that left the passenger vehicle severely burned.

Several passengers were reportedly trapped inside the minibus as emergency responders and members of the surrounding community rushed to the scene.

Firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze, while heavy equipment was later required during the recovery operation.

Authorities have been working to formally identify the victims before releasing their names to the public.

Death toll reaches 27

The confirmed death toll stands at 27, while seven other people were injured.

Authorities said the identities of those killed would be released once the identification process had been completed and their relatives informed.

The scale of the tragedy has sent shockwaves through the African Apostolic Church and communities connected to the victims.

Truck was reportedly carrying equipment from South Africa

The tragedy also has a South African connection.

According to Zimbabwean government reporting, the haulage truck was transporting mining equipment from South Africa and was travelling towards Goromonzi when the collision occurred.

The truck driver survived and was transported to Harare for further medical treatment.

Authorities have not announced criminal charges against the driver.

Any determination of responsibility will depend on the outcome of the police investigation.

Major highway blocked after crash

The collision caused significant disruption along the Harare-Masvingo Highway.

The truck and mining equipment reportedly obstructed the roadway, requiring heavy-duty machinery to clear the wreckage.

The highway has since been reopened.

The route is one of Zimbabwe’s major transport corridors and forms part of important regional road networks connecting Zimbabwe with South Africa.

Zimbabwe mourns church tragedy

The crash has renewed concerns about road safety on Zimbabwe’s major highways, particularly accidents involving heavy trucks, buses and passenger minibuses.

Authorities have repeatedly identified speeding, dangerous overtaking and other forms of driver error as major contributors to serious road crashes.

The latest tragedy is particularly devastating because many of the victims were members of the same religious community travelling together to a church gathering.

Zimbabwe’s government has expressed condolences to the families of those killed and the African Apostolic Church.

Attention will now turn to the police investigation, particularly the circumstances surrounding the truck’s reported overtaking manoeuvre and whether any additional factors contributed to the collision.

With 27 people confirmed dead, the Chivhu crash has become one of Zimbabwe’s most devastating road tragedies of 2026.

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