One person died and two others were injured when a haulage truck carrying chrome ore overturned and crushed a Toyota Probox at the Dadaya turn-off on the Zvishavane–Bulawayo Highway on Sunday afternoon, The Herald and NewsDay report.

The crash happened at around 4.30pm (Zimbabwe time) on Sunday 18 October, as the truck was travelling towards Zvishavane, according to The Herald.

What officials have said

Zvishavane District Development Coordinator Darlington Chokera told The Herald that the truck driver reportedly lost control while approaching the turn-off, where several speed humps have been installed.

"In attempting to brake and reduce speed, the truck overturned onto its side, crushing the Toyota Probox and trapping its occupant," he said.

Mr Chokera said the person rescued from the wreckage was pronounced dead on arrival at Zvishavane District Hospital. The two injured people were taken to the same hospital for treatment.

The Zvishavane Town Council Fire Brigade carried out the rescue together with the police, and heavy recovery equipment was being brought in to lift the overturned truck, The Herald reports.

Background: heavy trucks on Midlands roads

Officials have not said what caused Sunday's crash. But heavy mineral trucks on the region's roads have been a public concern for months.

In September, Senator Solani Moyo told the Senate that trucks carrying 30 to 40 tonnes of minerals were using roads "never built to carry that kind of weight", and called for mining companies to help pay for repairs, ZimEye and TSA Press report. The roads he listed included the Zvishavane–Mbalabala Road. He also proposed that mining licences should not be renewed unless companies had repaired the roads they use, both outlets report.

In August, Transport Minister Felix Mhona told the Senate that tenders had been awarded for new weighbridges on strategic sections of road, and urged mining companies to move more freight to rail, CITE reported. "The existing railway infrastructure remains underutilised while overloaded trucks continue to shorten the lifespan of roads," he said, according to CITE.

It is not the first such promise. In May 2023, Mhona told Parliament that his ministry had procured material for weighbridges on major highways, "especially those coming from the mining communities", The Zimbabwean reported.

What we don't know yet

What caused the crash. Officials say the circumstances are still under investigation.

The names of the person who died and of the two people who were hurt. None have been released.

The condition of the two injured people.

Whether the truck driver was among the injured. The reports do not say.

Sources: The Herald (Patrick Chitumba), 19 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/one-dead-two-injured-in-zvishavane-bulawayo-highway-crash/ · NewsDay (Valentine Maya), 20 Oct 2026: https://newsday.co.zw/article/zvishavane-bulawayo-road-accident-claims-one-life · ZimEye, 10 Sep 2026: https://www.zimeye.net/2026/09/10/mimosa-20-other-mining-firms-under-fire-over-road-damage/ · TSA Press, 14 Sep 2026: http://www.tsazim.com/miningcompaniesmustpayforroadstheydamagesenatetold/ · CITE (Tanaka Mrewa), 7 Aug 2026: https://cite.org.zw/govt-awards-weighbridge-tenders-as-senate-demands-crackdown-on-overloaded-trucks/ · The Zimbabwean, May 2023: https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2023/05/govt-to-install-weighbridges-on-major-highways/