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THE festive season is in full swing and with a day to go before Christmas, Bulawayo is a hive of activity as people prepare to merry make and celebrate this important holiday. It has been an eventful year for Zimbabwe with the highlight being the 31 July harmonised elections that spelt the end of the inclusive Government.
Zanu-PF swept to a landslide victory in that election and is governing the country on the back of an overwhelming mandate given to it by the people of Zimbabwe.
While the year had its ups and downs, Zimbabweans can look back and be satisfied with the manner in which the country has progressed since the advent of the multi currency system and the stabilisation of the economy.
As we celebrate, it is trite to point out that the coming year promises to be better for the nation following the formulation of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation which will guide the nation for the next five years.
Finance Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa had laid the groundwork for the nation by presenting an attainable and realistic budget which was long on policy – a brave and bold decision in the face of liquidity challenges confronting the country.
The hard work begins now with the implementation of that budget high on the priorities of Government once it gets down to real business.
The year 2014 must see Zimbabweans putting their shoulders to the wheel by turning swords into ploughshares and working together to develop the nation.
We should see productivity on the farms and industries, particularly in Bulawayo, must be resuscitated and employment created. As we close the year, we pay tribute to the resilience of Zimbabweans for weathering the storm in the face of illegal sanctions which continue to hamstring efforts to revive the economy. In the same vein we call on the West to lift their punitive embargoes in totality.
Be that as it may, Zimbabweans for now can put aside their troubles and take time off to celebrate with family and friends.
Christmas is a time to kickback and relax but sometimes the excitement takes over and tragedies occur. We once again implore people to party in moderation and not drink and drive.
As we reported yesterday, already at least 31 people have died and 138 others have been injured in road traffic accidents recorded since the beginning of the 2013 festive season on December 15.
Over the same period last year, 52 people had died and 308 had been injured. National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said they recorded 470 traffic accidents since December 15 to yesterday morning, against 500 accidents recorded during the same period in 2012.
“Most of these accidents occurred as a result of speeding, overtaking errors, failure to give way, misjudgment by the driver and failure to give way to pedestrians,” Chief Supt Nyathi said.
Masvingo recorded the highest deaths with 14; Harare, Midlands, Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South all recorded three deaths each; Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West had two each; and Matabeleland North recorded one.
No fatal crashes had been recorded in Manicaland and Bulawayo as of Sunday morning. Chief Supt Nyathi said the police had impounded 730 vehicles for various defects, and raised $48 880 from tickets issued for traffic offences.
“The Christmas and New Year holiday period is historically associated with disregard of road rules and laws, which subsequently lead to carnage and loss of life and damage to property. I urge motorists particularly public transport operators to abide by the road rules and exercise extreme caution during this festive season,” he said.
Chief Supt Nyathi warned public transport operators not to overload vehicles.
“We will not hesitate to take stern action against anyone who disregards traffic laws. We are appealing to them to exercise caution,” he said.
Chief Supt Nyathi also urged motorists to be on the lookout for stray animals on roads, as these have contributed to road deaths.
He said the police launched their annual 30-day festive season campaign period against road carnage, which runs from December to January 15.
Last year, 219 deaths were recorded from 1 403 accidents during the 30 day period, compared to 147 accident-related deaths in 2011. These are grim figures by any stretch of imagination and people should be careful and heed the advice of the law enforcement agents.
Online Reporter