HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed police to come hard on public transport operators who “put profit and speed above life” in the wake of the Rusape bus collision which killed 46 people on Wednesday evening.

The accident, a head-on collision between two buses, has been declared a national disaster, which enables state agencies to coordinate assistance for the families of the dead and survivors.

“Both the responsible ministry and our law enforcement agents must use this bloody accident to close in on all bus operators, drivers and road users who put profit and speed above life, thus causing avoidable carnage on our roads,” Mnangagwa said in a condolence message.

Transport Minister Joel Matiza visited the crash site on Thursday and met survivors at Rusape District Hospital.

“We are going to take strong measures against reckless drivers. There are some drivers with fake licences and the government, through the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), we are putting systems to stop that,” Matiza warned.

Superintendent Richard Gatsi of Rusape police said they had confirmed 46 people had died, 24 of them male, 17 females and five children. Thirty bodies had so far been claimed by relatives.

Rusape General Hospital acting matron Sister Josephine Chisamba said they had attended to 81 patients and admitted 52.

Police said the two buses rammed into each other when the driver of a Smart Express bus, which was going to Harare, tried to overtake a smaller car and a haulage truck in a no-overtaking zone.

“In a bid to avoid a head-on collision, the driver swerved off the road to the extreme right, but in the process hit the Bolt Cutter bus on the left side. Both buses sustained extensive damage, which resulted in the killing and injuring of passengers,” police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba explained.

President Mnangagwa said: “The use of vehicles that are not roadworthy, or drivers who do not seem to care for passenger safety, amount to criminal breach of trust between bus operators and paying commuters who expect and deserve safe transit.”

Each family that lost a relative will receive $1,350 in cash while the injured will have their medical bills paid, Local Government Minister July Moyo said.