adminThis holiday is one of the holiest and oldest in the Christian tradition.
Zimbabweans like other nationals across the world mark the holiday in different ways such as gathering at churches to reflect and remember the good works of the Lord while for others, it is time for travelling either to the rural areas or holiday resorts. For others it is time to be joined in matrimony while others just spend the holiday in the comfort of their homes.
However, over the years in Zimbabwe, the Easter holiday has proved to be a gloomy period as we always wake up to chilling headlines from the Press because of the traffic accidents which have now become synonymous with this period.
To some, this holy holiday has become a grieving period as families lose their loved ones through these accidents, which in most cases are avoidable. The holiday has since been dubbed the bloodiest over the years.
Unscrupulous transport operators have also been known to take advantage of the huge volume of desperate travellers to raise their fares.
It is against such nefarious tendencies that we urge the Government and the police to take stern measures against speeding and overcharging transporters so that there is sanity on the highways.
We draw comfort from the fact that the Minister of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development, Nicholas Goche, in our edition yesterday, issued a stern warning to transport operators who are in the habit of increasing their fares ahead and during holidays like Easter that they risk having licences and route permits withdrawn.
The police also chipped in and said they would maintain a heavy presence on the country’s roads to monitor any unscrupulous behaviour.
While we applaud the statements by Minister Goche and the police, we urge them to follow them with concrete action. Those caught on the wrong side of the law should be punished severely to send a clear message to would-be perpetrators.
As for the police officers, they should not hesitate to lock those who would be caught drunk while behind the wheel. Drivers should also take into consideration that they have a duty to safeguard the lives of people they would be carrying. Transport operators should also avoid over working their drivers as a majority of accidents occur because of fatigue.
We also take this opportunity to call on our fellow citizens to enjoy themselves without disturbing the peace of others. If one decides to drink, he or she should do so in peace. We say so because many lives have also been lost unnecessarily during beer drinking sessions with people in some instances stabbing each other over small issues.
We wish every Zimbabwean a Happy Easter and say everyone deserves a rest, as citizens of this great country are renowned for their hard work.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter