Online Reporter
Zimbabwe recorded an increase in the number of road traffic accidents during the recent Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day holidays. The authorities have attributed most of the accidents to human error and say new measures are being rolled out to deal with road carnage. Our Reporter DEBRA MATABVU interviewed Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) managing director MR Munesu Munodawafa, who outlined some of the initiatives in the pipeline.
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Q: Official figures show that during the 2025 Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day holidays, road accidents jumped to 196 from 149 last year. In your opinion, why was there this huge spike in the number of road accidents?
A: It is deeply regrettable that the number of accidents continues to rise despite all the efforts being made to reduce them.
A number of factors could explain this worrying trend. Firstly, there has been a marked increase in traffic volumes on our roads, which naturally raises the probability of accidents.
At the same time, major rehabilitation works are underway on highways and urban roads.
While these improvements make travel easier, they have also led to an upsurge in reckless driving, especially speeding.
Many motorists are driving at shockingly high speeds, and this has become a leading cause of accidents.
So, potholes are not the ones causing accidents, but human behaviour — specifically speeding.
This takes us back to the point where the numbers show that more than 94 percent of the accidents are attributable to human error.
Looking back at last year’s data, the accidents that claimed the highest number of lives and injuries were single-vehicle crashes. There was no other car except the one that is involved in the accident. These point directly to the driver’s conduct rather than external factors.
You will also notice that many of these accidents happened at night, between 1.30am and 2am, a time when the human body is naturally fatigued.
Considering the long distances most of the vehicles had travelled before the accidents, driver fatigue clearly played a role.
That explains largely the challenges we are facing on our roads.
This tells us that the biggest challenge we face on our roads is the attitude of drivers and the way they handle their vehicles.
The ultimate solution lies in self-reflection and responsible driving.
If we can address this as a country, we would solve more than 90 percent of our road safety problems.
Q: So, in essence, you are saying the culture of road use in Zimbabwe contributes more to accidents than poor infrastructure and vehicle conditions?
A: Yes, definitely. For many years, infrastructure was blamed for accidents, but I think the Second Republic deserves recognition for the progress made.
Roads are being widened, rehabilitated and resurfaced, and the improvements are undeniable.
While more still needs to be done, the reality is that despite these upgrades, accidents have not decreased. In fact, they have increased.
Official statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police clearly show that the major problem lies elsewhere.
Yes, infrastructure is important, but what now needs urgent attention is human behaviour.
The culture of driving in Zimbabwe is the biggest contributor to accidents.
Issues such as speeding, overloading and driving defective vehicles — including cars without headlights or indicators at night — are all human choices.
One really wonders what motivates such recklessness.
Another factor is livestock on roads, especially in the southern parts of the country.
Farmers need to pen their animals at night, not only to save lives on the roads but also to protect their own livelihoods.
A single beast can cost around US$500, and it is common to see herds worth US$10 000 to US$20 000 wandering on highways. This is unnecessary and dangerous.On the part of drivers, those travelling through such areas must exercise extra caution.
And beyond that, we must address blatant disregard for traffic laws, for example, people running red lights.
Obeying road rules is the most basic requirement of driving, yet it is disturbing to see how often this is ignored.
Ultimately, the problem is cultural and behavioural.
Until we address attitudes towards road use, accidents will remain unacceptably high, regardless of infrastructure improvements.
Q: Do you believe enough has been done in terms of roadblocks, awareness campaigns and deployment of speed traps during holidays?
A: I would not say enough has been done, but I would say a lot has been done.
I shy away from using the word enough because we have not yet sustainably reduced road carnage.
If you look back at the festive seasons of the past two years, we actually recorded reductions in the number of accidents, fatalities and injuries.
Unfortunately, that positive trend did not continue this year, which shows that, while our strategies worked before, we now need to review and strengthen them.
In terms of deployments going forward, I believe increased use of technology is the way to go.
Right now, many motorists can predict where enforcement teams will be stationed.
For the next festive season, one of our strategies is to rotate and move checkpoints to make them less predictable.
But beyond short-term measures, what we need is full-scale deployment of technologies to enforce compliance with traffic laws — things like automated speed monitoring and red-light cameras.
While the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has the mandate to lead this, as road safety partners, we fully support such initiatives and will step in to fill any gaps.
It is a whole-of-government approach, and we are committed to playing our part.
Q: Do you think there should be stricter rules for commuter minibuses and long-distance buses? What rules do you think should apply?
A: I would separate the two categories.
According to the ZRP’s statement this year — and the reality on the ground — long-distance buses performed exceptionally well.
For the first time in a long while, we did not record any fatal accidents or serious injuries involving buses. I want to commend the operators and their drivers for that.
Their compliance shows that progress is possible.
The challenge, however, lies with commuter omnibuses, particularly in Harare. Many continue to drive recklessly, sometimes competing with unregistered mushikashika operators. This is very concerning, as many of them continue to violate road rules in urban areas.
The situation is notably different in Bulawayo, where kombi operators are generally well-organised. Most belong to associations that enforce order and compliance.
In Harare, by contrast, there are too many fragmented associations, making regulation difficult.
We need to streamline these associations, strengthen their accountability and make it mandatory for every operator to belong to a recognised association.
Operators should clearly display the name of their association, so that in the event of violations, there is recourse and accountability.
Q: What progress has been made regarding the reintroduction of breathalysers on the roads?
A: The issue of breathalysers speaks directly to the need for modern technologies in road safety enforcement.
Given the levels of recklessness we sometimes witness on the roads, intoxication is a very real concern.
We commend the police for taking the bold step to reintroduce breathalysers.
As the Traffic Safety Council, we have been instructed by our Honourable Minister to support this initiative, and we stand ready to provide assistance within our budgetary means.
I know the ZRP is already working on this and will make an announcement at the right time.
The same applies to speed traps.
We applaud the ZRP’s efforts to acquire state-of-the-art speed cameras, and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development has made it clear that if additional support is required, we will provide it.
Beyond alcohol testing, we also welcome the Government’s initiative to broaden the scope of roadside checks to include drugs.
The Ministry of Health (and Child Care), through the chief Government analyst, has been testing new technology capable of detecting drugs in drivers.
This is crucial because some of the dangerous driving we see cannot be explained by alcohol alone.
Ultimately, we believe random alcohol and drug tests for public service vehicle drivers should become standard practice.
This will ensure that no one entrusted with the lives of passengers is operating under the influence of alcohol or any other substances.
It is an initiative we strongly support, and one we have clear instructions from our minister to help implement.
Q: In terms of technology, how soon can we expect some of these measures to be rolled out, things like electronic monitoring of drivers?
A: At the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, we believe, for enforcement to be more effective, we must adopt measures that have worked in other countries.
One of the most basic but impactful innovations is the introduction of electronic traffic management systems.
We are excited because Zimbabwe is already running two pilot projects.
Cameras have been installed at various traffic lights in Harare, and some are being deployed in other towns.
These have already started yielding results.
Frankly, we were shocked at the level of violations detected, but we are encouraged that enforcement is happening.
The police have begun publishing lists of offenders who are being asked to come forward and pay fines, and even when lists are not published, violators are being contacted directly.
The important thing is that the proof of concept is working.
TSCZ is proud to be among the institutions hosting one of the pilot projects.
It is now only a matter of time before this goes nationwide.
People should start expecting tickets delivered straight to their mailboxes.
And that is the way to go.
The beauty of this system is that enforcement happens without human interaction.
When drivers know that they can be ticketed by an unseen machine, compliance increases significantly.
Removing human discretion ensures consistency and fairness in enforcement.
From the updates we are receiving from the Government, we believe a full rollout is just weeks away.
From a road safety point of view, we can’t wait. We are excited because this represents a real game-changer.
Q: Lastly, the next holiday season will be in December. What can we expect from the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe that is different from the Heroes Day holiday period?
A: A number of changes are coming.
First, joint enforcement will be more pronounced, with the TSCZ working alongside the ZRP, the Vehicle Inspectorate Department, and the Road and Infrastructure Monitoring Team.
Second, by December, we expect the electronic traffic management system to have moved from the pilot stage to full rollout.
Third, breathalysers should be fully operational by then.
The indications we have are that this will be finalised in the next few weeks, so by the festive season, they should be in use.
Fourth, the satellite tracking of public service vehicles, which is currently under proof of concept, should also be fully functional.
This will be a huge step in monitoring long-distance buses.
In addition, plans are at an advanced stage for the deployment of vehicles fitted with equipment to detect traffic offences in real-time. It is no longer a matter of if — it is now a matter of when.
When you put all of these together — joint enforcement, electronic monitoring, breathalysers, satellite tracking and mobile enforcement vehicles — we believe road safety will be significantly enhanced by December.
That said, the most important factor remains the person behind the wheel.
Technology and enforcement can only go so far.
At the end of the day, we appeal to every motorist to take personal responsibility.
Whether you are driving during a holiday or on an ordinary day, whether you are alone or carrying loved ones, exercise caution and obey the rules of the road.
Traffic rules exist to protect you, your passengers, pedestrians and other road users. If everyone observes them, accidents will not happen.
I have said before, and I repeat it, zero accidents are possible.
What we are experiencing in Zimbabwe are not accidents but crashes, because most of them result directly from human error or recklessness.
Responsibility begins with each of us. Road safety starts with me, and it starts with you.
