By Tendai Mugabe
Beitbridge Town Council last week offered free graves for seven residents who perished in an accident near Limpopo River.
The graves were offered to those relatives who chose to bury their deceased in the border town.
Beitbridge Mayor Councillor Morgan Ncube said his council also resolved to assist the bereaved families with $400 each towards funeral expenses.
He said the entire Beitbridge Town was plunged into mourning by the accident which he described as the first of its kind to claim such a huge number at once within the municipality’s jurisdiction.
Clr Ncube also urged Beitbridge residents to donate both in cash and kind to the bereaved families.
“On Monday August 12, 2019, at around 0300 hours, a Toyota truck was involved in accident while carrying some people, most of whom were residents of this town on the 10km peg along Lutumba-Tshitulipasi Road in Beitbridge District,” said Clr Ncube.
“So far seven people have been confirmed dead and nine sustained severe injuries and were admitted in hospital. All the confirmed deceased persons reside in Ward 6 of the Municipality of Beitbridge. This is the first time that this municipality has lost such a high number of people at once in such tragic circumstances.”
A special full council sat early Wednesday to deliberate on this misfortune and resolved to assist families of those who died by $400 as funeral assistance and a waiver of cemetery charges on those whose bodies will be buried in Beitbridge (Makakavhule Cemetery).
Although it’s not clear where all the seven people were coming from, it is being speculated that they were smuggling some products from the neighbouring South Africa.
On a different matter, Clr Ncube said the council also resolved that relatives of fallen heroes buried at Makakavhule Cemetery would get housing land at 50 percent discount. The Herald