World

Twenty-seven dead as minibus taxi crashes in Zimbabwe

By AAP Newswire

Aug 29, 2026

A bus crash near Harare — Zimbabwe has one of the world's worst road safety records. -AP

Twenty-seven people have been killed in a collision between a minibus taxi carrying church members and a haulage truck in Zimbabwe.

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Paul Nyathi, the police spokesperson, said members of a popular indigenous African Christian denomination, known for wearing white robes, were travelling for a conference when the minibus taxi collided head-on with the truck.

The truck was trying to overtake another vehicle when it crashed with the minibus taxi on a major highway near Chivhu town, 132km south of the capital, Harare, Nyathi said in a statement.

State-run broadcaster ZBC News, citing a provincial government minister, said 23 people died at the scene, while others succumbed to their injuries after being admitted to a local hospital.

The minibus taxi burst into flames and was reduced to a shell following the collision, according to local media, which published pictures of the wreckage.

Nyathi said both vehicles were carrying an "unspecified" number of passengers.

Road accidents involving crowded buses, minibus taxis and unregulated sedan taxis are common in Zimbabwe and are often blamed on dangerous driving and poor road conditions.

Zimbabwe is among the countries with the worst road safety records, with 94 per cent of road accidents attributed to human error, according to authorities.