HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his government would honour a man credited with saving the lives of eight passengers whose bus caught fire following a collision with a fuel tanker on December 24.
Again and again, Sizirani Butau returned to the Beta bus which was engulfed in flames to rescue trapped passengers.
Five people died in the crash 25km from Mutare on the highway to Harare, but police said the death toll could have been higher were it not for Butau’s heroic actions.
On Sunday, Mnangagwa said: “Let me take this opportunity to appreciate Sirizani Butau who saved people from the Mutare accident. As government, we will honour him for his selfless sacrifice.”
Butau is believed to have received over Z$1 million in donations since accounts of his heroic actions emerged.
Mobile money payments company EcoCash confirmed it has asked the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to review upwards Butau’s limits on their platform so that he could pay for his treatment.
“We sought authority from the RBZ to review Butau weekly EcoCash limit to allow him to pay for urgent treatment,” company spokesman Fungai Mandiveyi said.
“His limit was reviewed with immediate effect, from ZWL$35,000 per week to ZWL$100,000 per week until March 31, 2022.”
