By Anna Chibamu

ZANU PF chief whip and youth league secretary, Pupurai Togarepi Thursday escaped with minor injuries when his vehicle was involved in a road accident near Lalapanzi.

Togarepi was on his way to Matebeleland South’s Esigodini for the party’s 17th annual national people’s conference this weekend.

Information Ministry permanent secretary Nick Mangwana confirmed the incident saying the Zanu PF official, “sustained minor injuries as his car allegedly hit a cow and the driver (unnamed) lost control of the vehicle”.

“The driver sustained serious injuries and had to be rushed to Gweru general hospital,” Mangwana said.

The Gutu South legislator Thursday evening told some local reporters he was in good health although close associates said he was complaining of neck pains.

“I am ok. We hit a cow,” Togarepi said.

 Zanu PF has not been spared by road accidents in the recent past with party vice chair for Midlands Goodwill Shiri killed in a horrific car crash October this year.

Six Zanu-PF members were also injured in October when a Ford Ranger that was carrying 15 party activists plunged into a river at Gampinya Bridge in Tsheli area, Nkayi.

Similarly, Zanu PF politburo member and former youth league boss Absolom Sikhosana July this year narrowly escaped death after a vehicle sped over a kerb dividing a road and collided head-on with his along Khami Road in Bulawayo.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga was unhurt when an unlicensed kombi driver crashed into his motorcade August this year.

Former party youth league chair for Bulawayo Central district Magura Charumbira also died when his Mercedes Benz was involved in an accident beginning of the year.