ZRP Hunts Cow Owner After Highlanders Tragedy That Claimed Four Lives

By A Correspondent | The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched investigations to identify and prosecute the owner of a cow believed to have triggered the devastating road accident that claimed the lives of three Highlanders Football Club executive members and a club supporter.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that detectives are pursuing leads to establish ownership of the animal and determine whether criminal negligence contributed to one of Zimbabwe’s deadliest football-related road tragedies in recent years.

According to Ass Comm Nyathi, Zimbabwean law provides for livestock owners to be held accountable where stray animals on public roads result in injury, death or damage to property.

“There are legal provisions that make livestock owners accountable for accidents involving animals on public roads. We have received information suggesting that the cow was part of a herd being driven by a young herder. Police are following up on that lead and are determined to identify the owner and ensure the law takes its course,” Nyathi said, according to reports by Ezra Tshuma Sibanda.

Police believe the animal may not have been roaming unattended but could instead have formed part of a herd under the supervision of a young cattle herder, a development investigators are now examining.

Should that information be confirmed, investigators are expected to determine whether negligence occurred on the part of the livestock owner or those responsible for managing the herd.

Nyathi urged livestock owners to exercise greater responsibility, warning that allowing cattle to stray onto highways can have catastrophic consequences.

He also appealed to motorists to remain vigilant, particularly when travelling at night or through rural districts where livestock frequently wander onto major roads.


Police have urged members of the public to avoid speculation while investigations continue, promising that a fuller account of the incident will be released once enquiries have been completed.

The Fatal Crash

The collision occurred on Thursday evening along the Harare–Bulawayo Road in Insiza District.

The vehicle carrying Highlanders Football Club officials reportedly struck a cow before the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to collide head-on with an oncoming bus.

The crash claimed the lives of:

Colonel (Retired) Kenneth Mhlophe, Highlanders chairman
Fiso Siziba, vice-chairman
Nkani Khoza, treasurer
Mbalenhle Sibanda, devoted Highlanders supporter
The group had been returning from Kariba, where Highlanders had suffered a 1–0 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League defeat to ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga Stadium.

In recognition of their service to Zimbabwean football and the circumstances of their deaths, Government granted all four victims State-assisted funerals.

A Recurring National Safety Problem

The tragedy has renewed scrutiny over Zimbabwe’s long-running problem of stray livestock on major highways.

Protective fencing was installed along sections of the Gweru–Bulawayo Highway in previous years to reduce collisions involving roaming cattle. However, significant stretches have since been vandalised or stolen, with reports indicating that some fencing has been removed by residents and poachers for use as wire snares.

The deterioration of these safety barriers has left many sections of Zimbabwe’s highways exposed, increasing the likelihood of collisions between motorists and livestock.

As investigations continue, the case is expected to test how Zimbabwe’s laws governing livestock ownership are enforced when negligence is alleged to have resulted in multiple fatalities. If police establish ownership and sufficient evidence of negligence, the livestock owner could face criminal prosecution under the country’s road traffic and livestock control laws.