President Mnangagwa honors heroic Butau, two brave siblings

Mitchell Dzoro

President Mnangagwa bestowed honors upon heroic truck driver Sirizani Butau, who bravely saved many lives at an accident scene in Mutare in December 2021, and two siblings, Luckmore and Peace Magaya, who saved their mother from a crocodile attack in Mhondoro in January this year.

The awards were presented during the National Heroes Day celebrations held at the National Heroes Acre today.

Butau was awarded “The Gold Cross of Zimbabwe” in what President Mnangagwa described as “selfless sacrifice”.

Butau rescued people that were travelling in a Beta bus that caught flames after a head-on collision with a fuel tanker 20km outside of Mutare on December 24, 2021.

He was in neither of them.

Butau managed to save eight people from the burning bus but sustained third degree burns, leaving him to spend his Christmas bedridden in the hospital.

Due to his selfless act, Butau received positive feedback from people all over, which resulted in people pledging money and getting free medical attention at Queen Mary Hospital.

Meanwhile, the two siblings were awarded “the Silver Cross of Zimbabwe.”.

Luckmore and Peace, who rescued their mother from the jaws of a crocodile, met with the President in March at State House in Harare, where he awarded the two scholarships and US$10,000 in cash for their rare act of bravery.