Free driving lessons for rural teachers

Lovemore Kadzura Rusape Correspondent
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has embarked on massive free driving lessons for rural teachers in an effort to decentralise its services. TSCZ has partnered with the Zimbabwe Rural Teachers Union (ZRTU) in the unique programme, which will see thousands of teachers getting drivers’ licences without hassles.

The free driving lessons, which are both theoretical and practical, started on Saturday last week at Bamba Primary School in Inyati Mine, Headlands and will be rolled out nationwide. In an interview with The Herald, ZRTU president Mr Martin Chaburumunda said the partnership with TSCZ was going to bridge the gap between rural teachers and their urban counterparts.

“We are very happy that the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe has agreed to work with us and it is a very positive development for us rural teachers,” said Mr Chaburumunda.

“We approached them after we noticed that there are some key services that are only available in urban centres and driving lessons was one of them. Most rural teachers do not have drivers’ licences and this partnership will address that anomaly. Our aim is to make sure every rural teacher possesses a driver’s licence whether he/she has a car or not. This is one of the ways we are empowering ourselves because a driver’s licence these days is a basic necessity.” TSCZ operations director Mr Proctor Utete confirmed the partnership with ZRTU, saying they would use rural teachers to spread the gospel of road safety in rural and remote areas, where they are influential and respected members of society.