Minister Garwe Defends Emergency Response in Deadly Seke Road Crash

Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe has defended the Civil Protection Department’s response to the tragic Seke Road accident that left 17 people dead, claiming authorities acted promptly despite public criticism over delays.

The fatal collision occurred when a haulage truck crossed into oncoming traffic, crashing into a minibus. The incident, which happened along Seke Road last week, raised serious concerns about the country’s ability to handle emergencies efficiently. Witnesses at the scene reported that several victims died while awaiting rescue, citing the absence of proper equipment like a recovery crane.

Speaking in Parliament recently, Minister Garwe addressed the backlash, saying the response time depended on when the incident was reported to the authorities.

“The timing of the response is influenced by when the relevant department— in this case, the Civil Protection Department— is informed of the accident,” he said. “We cannot automatically conclude that there was a failure to respond swiftly without first establishing the timeline between the report and the actual deployment.”

Garwe further noted that the nature of the emergency report can affect the type of resources deployed. “If the report simply states that an accident occurred along Chitungwiza Road without specific details, it becomes difficult to determine the immediate needs—like whether a crane is necessary.”

Despite public outcry and condemnation from political figures such as Nelson Chamisa, who criticized the government’s emergency preparedness, Garwe maintained that the Civil Protection Department was effective and acted quickly.

He also directed part of the blame at the Chitungwiza Municipality, suggesting it had been slower to respond even though it possesses the necessary resources.

“At the scene of the accident, Civil Protection officials were the first to arrive, followed by fire services dispatched from Harare,” he said. “Government has already provided all 92 local authorities with firefighting equipment. Urban councils, including Chitungwiza, have received at least two fire tenders each.”

Garwe said the ministry would engage with the Chitungwiza City Council to understand why their local emergency teams were slow to react, despite being equipped to manage such incidents.