Senga School Run Kombi Inferno Driver, Conductor Remanded in Custody
The Gweru Magistrate courts has remanded in custody the driver and conductor of the June 10 Senga commuter omnibus that killed seven minors after catching fire in Senga, to the 23rd of June 2026.
Dumisani Ndlovu 
Gweru — Magistrate Dion Chiroyi has remanded the driver and conductor of the Senga commuter omnibus that caught fire and killed seven school children on the 10th of June, in custody, after the State opposed their release on bail.
The two were remanded to the 23rd of June 2026.
Malcolm Elvis Cook (22) and Trinity Mudhenge (18) appeared before the Gweru Magistrate on Saturday, June 13, facing seven counts of culpable homicide arising from the June 10 tragedy near Chirandu Business Centre in Senga.
The two accused were not asked to plead when they appeared in court and were remanded in custody pending further proceedings.
According to allegations presented by the State, a jerry can containing petrol was placed inside the commuter omnibus before a fire broke out and engulfed the vehicle.
The State alleges that the accused negligently caused the deaths of the seven children after allowing the fuel container to be carried inside the passenger vehicle.
The state was represented by Prosecutor Sibangani Dube.
In opposing bail, investigating officer Detective Assistant Inspector Nyarai Lindiwe Makaza, told the court that the offence was serious and carried the possibility of a severe custodial sentence, creating a risk that the accused could abscond.
The State further argued that investigations were still at an early stage and that releasing the accused could interfere with the inquiry.
The State said there are concerns that the accused could potentially interfere with witnesses, including a key witness described as their manager.
The circumstances surrounding the tragedy had shocked the local community and releasing the accused at this stage could disturb public order and undermine public peace and security, the state said.
Prosecution argued that the combined factors justified continued detention pending the completion of investigations.
Meanwhile, an impeccable source close to the ongoing investigations revealed that DNA results linked to the fatal inferno are expected to be released on Tuesday.
The findings are anticipated to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the blaze that claimed seven young lives.
