Drag race saga: BMW driver speaks out

ONE thing about social media, the new normal in a world forever hoisted on the technological wing, is that it has a way with time; either by freezing it, regurgitating it or simply revisiting it.

And, in all that time play, emotions are usually whipped up, facts distorted, the truth sacrificed, and dreams are guillotined.

Recently, social media was awash with videos of a drag race involving two cars, a BMW and Mark X, much to the thrill of onlookers, and another one in which a number of people are seen lying on the ground, some writhing in agony.

With social media, any skit is a potential thriller, and spectators are always galore, until of course, disaster strikes.

Even in the goriest of circumstances, camera brigades are in vogue — clicking, clicking and clicking again, without shame for that ‘pricey’ shot, oblivious of the anguish around.

Once again, time became the major character in the tragedy that ensued.

The drag racing video, as already been clarified by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, was shot in Mashonaland Central Province in March 2021 and not this year.

And, the second video, though recent, was shot in Pretoria, South Africa.

The two videos are not linked in whatever way.

Hence, not only was time regurgitated for ulterior motives, but facts were also put in disarray.

Consequently, emotions were detrimentally whipped up.

In such situations, there are always victims.

One character who features prominently in the viral videos, albeit in the role of a villain, is the BMW driver.

Although facts are all mixed up, the driver in the 2021 incident has a name after all, and he has decided to break his silence.

His name is Benson Sosera.

He is 31.

He fatally hit six people with his BMW in March 2021, and injured one.

He is facing culpable homicide charges before Bindura magistrate, Ms Ruramai Chitumbura.

The mishap claimed the lives of Noleen Zihwa, Cynthia Karikoga, Faith Kanakembizi, Blessed Nhamburo, Tendai Mashaya, and Livious Mahoko.

Farai Zindoga was injured.

With his D-day being January 27 this year, Sosera said he is ready for any outcome or punishment that the court may decide on.

He has a gripe with social media peddlers, though, saying recent interest in the matter has left him traumatised.

To compound his pain, the trending videos are not from the incident, even.

Sosera denies that he was racing with another car, clarifying that although his BMW was white, it is not the same as the one in the circulating videos.

“It was on Friday, March 5, 2021 when I was travelling from Chindunduma to Mt Darwin,” he opened up to The Herald recently.

“I was in the company of a boy from my village, who disembarked at a turn-off since he was going to Harare.”

Sosera said he was travelling at 70km per hour, and ahead of him was a commuter omnibus parked not entirely out of the road.

“The road ahead was clear, so I changed lanes and accelerated. Suddenly, a woman appeared from the front of the omnibus running onto the road. To the right, there were about eight people by the roadside,” he revealed.

Sosera said when he hooted, the woman neither stopped nor returned to the roadside, so he applied brakes, but it was too late and he hit her.

“She was hit and landed on the windscreen. The sunroof and steering airbags burst out, and I lost consciousness,” he said.

Sosera said he assisted the families with burial arrangements and later sold the car for only US$1 000.

Refuting juju claims, he said at the time he was working for the late prominent Bindura gold dealer, Kudzanai Kangara.

“I had no money of my own. I don’t dabble in juju nor do I consult traditional healers or prophets for riches. I bought the car after gold was detected in my father’s field,” he said.

He revealed that following a survey using detectors, he was able to fetch 200 grammes of gold from the field, proceeds of which he used to buy a BMW.

“I bought the vehicle at a car sale in Harare so that I could become mobile in my job,” said Sosera.

He said he has no reason to run away from the law because he is “prepared for any outcome of the court”, adding that social media enthusiasts should verify facts first before posting.

“I started driving in 2014, and this was my first accident. I appeal to people to get first-hand information before posting on social media,” Sosera said.

Prosecutor Mr Clement Kuwanda alleges that the incident happened at around 10.15am when Sosera was driving his white BMW registration number AFI 2729 along Harare-Mukumbura Road due north towards Mt Darwin with no passengers.

The deceased Zihwa (18), disembarked from a commuter omnibus with three others and started crossing the road from the west to the east side.

Mr Kuwanda accuses Sosera of failing to be on the lookout, travelling at excessive speed, and failing to stop when an accident seemed imminent at the 135km peg.

The court heard that after hitting Zihwa, the vehicle veered off the road and razed six pedestrians who were walking along the verge of the road.

All six died on the spot and Zindoga sustained a fractured right lower limb.

The BMW travelled for 143 metres from the scene before resting on a culvert pillar.

Possible sentences for culpable homicide charges are life in prison, or a fine up to level 14.