Harare — SUNGURA musician Tongai Moyo's Mazda BT50 (double cab) was involved in a fatal accident on Monday night.

His 35-year-old nephew, Jacob Chosa, died as a result of injuries sustained in the tragedy. The musician, who runs a garage, says the vehicle is a write-off.

Tongai's manager and trusted lieutenant, Knowledge Chosa, another nephew, was behind the wheel. The accident occurred just after the Sebakwe River, about 10 km outside Kwekwe. Tongai himself was not in the car. He had remained behind at his Msasa home in Kwekwe with his family. Knowledge was taking building material to his rural home in nearby Sisombe.

Knowledge escaped unhurt as the car veered off the road and landed in a ditch after a tyre burst. Jacob was buried at Mbizo Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon.

Knowledge said: "When I left the bridge (Sebakwe River), I heard a loud noise from behind. I noticed that it was a tyre burst. "Then, I lost control of the vehicle after it started swerving and veered off the road. I battled with the vehicle for a moment before it hit a ditch and landed on the other side.

"My brother Jacob sustained serious head injuries and fractured his hand. As for me, I escaped unhurt and up to now I don't know how God saved me." The BT50 wreckage was later taken to the Vehicle Inspection Department premises in Kwekwe.

Tongai was forced to cancel his appointment with the doctor to undergo chemotherapy because he had to attend his nephew's burial. He has rescheduled the appointment for next week.

"The incident will neither affect my battle with cancer nor my performances," he said. "As for this vehicle, we can always get another one. "But Jacob's death pains me most. "He was a responsible family man and the two (Jacob and Knowledge) used to hang around together.

"When I heard the news I was very disturbed. We rushed the two to the hospital and we tried our best to save Jacob but all the hospitals could not provide us with medication.

"It was an accident and, after all, this month has had a lot of accidents. "The same spot where my guys had an accident has claimed more than seven lives this month alone. To me it's now a black spot."

After losing his Mazda BT50, Tongai is now using his old Toyota Vista which had been parked at a garage in Kwekwe. Another Mazda V6 would be now on standby, he said.