By Lilian Lucas,
The Citizen Correspondent
Morogoro. Thirteen members of the Dar es Salaam-based Five Star Modern Taarab group were killed on Monday night in a grisly road crash at Mikumi in Morogoro Region.

The accident claimed, among others, the lives of singers Husna Mapande and Hamisa Omary, the wife of another artiste, Mussa Mipango. Solo guitarist Shebe Juma, bass guitarist Omary Hashim, and a band assistant identified only as Omary aka Tall, were also among the dead.

On learning of the fatal accident, President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday sent condolences to the bereaved families. In a message to the Minister for Information, Youth and Sports, Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, the President expressed his shock and sadness, saying the accident had robbed the country of budding and experienced Taarab artistes.

“I have personally been touched by this tragedy, as we have lost artistes who made great contribution to strengthening Taarab music. This is a great loss not only to Taarab sector, but also to the entire nation,” the President added.

Minister Nchimbi said: “The deaths of the artistes have left us with a huge gap in the Taarab music industry, which will be hard to fill.”Among the dead were popular up-and-coming singer Issa Kijoti and the group leader, Nassoro Madenge.

Others killed on the spot were a band employee, Mr Ngereza Hassan, organists Tizzo Mgunda and Hamma Kinyoya, an artiste identified as Maimuna and a showgirl from another Ilala-based Kitu Tigo group, whose name was not established.

Haji Mzaniwa, 32, an employee of the group, died while being taken to Morogoro regional hospital.Bandleader Ally Juma, 25, aka ‘Ally J’, who was among the injured, said 24 people, including 21 artistes, two drivers and a passenger picked up in Mbeya, were in the minibus.

Mr Juma said the group staged several shows in Mbeya and Morogoro regions. Their last show was in Kyela town on Sunday. They had also performed at Makambako on Friday and in Kilosa township last Wednesday.

Morogoro Regional Traffic Officer Ibrahim Mwamakula said that the minibus, carrying 24 passengers from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam, smashed into a timber loaded truck that had been parked by the roadside for repair. The truck was said to belong to Mr Meshack Rajab Mvamba.

Mr Mwamakula said the accident occurred at around 8.30 pm within Mikumi National Park, about six kilometres to the eastern gate of the park at Doma village.

According to eyewitnesses, the minibus had veered from left to the right but in a bid to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming lorry, swayed back and crashed.

Initial reports, however, suggested that the minibus was speeding, with the driver allegedly ignoring the 50km per hour speed limit within the national park.Meanwhile, the police are looking for the driver of the minibus, who could not be traced after the accident.

Mr Mwamakula said the lorry, which was coming from the opposite direction, overturned after the driver lost control in a frantic attempt to avoid collision with the zigzagging minibus.Relatives of the musicians arrived in Morogoro before dawn yesterday and camped at the regional hospital mortuary, waiting to view the bodies.

Those injured in the accident include experienced Taarab singer Mwanahawa Ally, 55, Suzana Benedict, 32, Zena Mohamed, 27, Samila Rajab, 22, Ally Juma, 25, Rajab Kondo, 25, Mwanahawa Hamis, 38, Shaban Hamis, 41, and Msafiri Mussa, 22,  -- all residents of Dar es Salaam.

Over 100 vehicles were held up at the crash scene as police and volunteers went carried out the rescue operation.Eyewitnesses, including a Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) game warden, Mr Mohamed Hawanga, Mr Justine Simon, who was travelling to Mafinga and Mr Jatemi Lembilinyi, who was heading to Iringa, praised the lorry driver, saying more people could have been killed had he not avoided a head on collision.

They said the lorry driver swerved to avoid the minibus.“We could be speaking another thing if the head collision had happened... no one might have come out of the minibus alive,” said Mr Lembelinyi.

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