What started as a routine delivery quickly turned into a nightmare for a truck driver in Zimbabwe after a man’s body was discovered hidden inside a load of quarry stones.
The shocking incident, first reported by The Herald, unfolded in Domboshava, near Harare, during what should have been a normal drop-off.
Kumbirai Chikwama, 38, a self-employed tipper truck driver operating around Domboshava and Borrowdale, had earlier picked up a man along the Harare–Domboshava Road. The man, later identified as 34-year-old Showman Rusava, had reportedly asked for a lift.
According to police, Rusava appeared intoxicated. With passengers already seated in the cab, Chikwama instructed him to ride in the empty loading box at the back.
Around 13:00, the driver parked at Zimbiru Business Centre and briefly left the vehicle, assuming the man had disembarked.
Just before 14:00, he received a call from a client requesting nine cubic metres of crusher-run quarry stones. He drove to a local supplier, where a front-end loader filled the tipper in three stages before he proceeded to the delivery point.
Everything appeared normal until the final moments of offloading.
Then everything changed in an instant.
As the tipper lifted and the last of the stones began to slide out, the client noticed something unusual in the load and immediately alerted the driver.
Moments later, the truth was revealed.
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A human body lay buried beneath the quarry stones.
Chikwama was left in shock after identifying the deceased as the same man he had given a lift to earlier in the day.
Mashonaland East police spokesperson Inspector Simon Chazovachii confirmed that a culpable homicide case has been opened.
“The now deceased, who was visibly drunk, had asked for a lift and was allowed to ride in the loading box,” he said.
It is not yet clear whether the man had already died before the truck was loaded, or if he was fatally injured during the loading process. Police investigations are expected to determine the exact cause of death.
The body was taken to Makumbe Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
For truck drivers, the incident is a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong when people are allowed to ride in loading areas.
Giving lifts, especially on short rural runs, is common practice across Southern Africa, but it carries risks that are often overlooked in the moment.
Basic checks before loading, particularly after offering someone a lift, can make a critical difference.
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