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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has said there is an urgent need to promulgate the Road Accident Fund which will cater for compensation of victims of road traffic accidents.
Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona said the country records high traffic accidents that leave many injured.
Minister Mhona said this while responding to questions from legislators in the National Assembly who wanted to understand what Government was doing to compensate road accident victims.
“This is a very important and emotional question where we are losing lives on our roads at an alarming rate. There is need to move with speed on the promulgation of the Road Accident Fund which will also come before this august House,” said Minister Mhona.
“I want to agree that as a country, we are highly rated in terms of carnage that we witness on our roads which must not continue and which calls for a holistic approach as a citizenry.”
He attributed human error to most of the accidents being recorded in the country and in some cases defective cars.
Minister Mhona said driving errors are being recorded as motorists are driving while operating cellphones.
He said there is a need for stakeholder engagement in mitigating increase in road accidents.
“As a Ministry, we are also going to be calling for a stakeholder platform where we are going to deliberate on these very important issues so as to mitigate the carnage that we are witnessing,” he said.
Minister Mhona said consultations will be conducted on how the Rod Accident Fund should be rolled out.
“The Road Accident Fund is something that we are also seeking concurrence from the respected august House so that we have in place, but you then find that in other jurisdiction, it will then cater for those that are injured and in other areas, they go to the extent of looking after the beneficiaries and those that are injured,” said Minister Mhona.
“We are saying this is what we are benchmarking within the region to say how the same fund is being administered. I want to assure the august House that very soon, we will be tabling the same after engaging widely as enunciated in the Constitution, to seek indulgence from the people of Zimbabwe under Section 141.”
The Minister said some citizens would blame the state of the roads for the road accidents but there is also evidence that the public are perishing in rehabilitated roads.
He said there is a need for a change of attitudes in addressing road carnage.
“I want to also to appeal to the people of Zimbabwe that it is not only the state of the road but also the mindset, culture and attitude that we are witnessing on our roads where people are no longer observing the regulations, sticking and abiding to the dictates of safety on the roads. Precisely, what we are calling for is the humble approach when you are using the road,” he said.
Minister Mhona said it was saddening that innocent citizens were being killed due to recklessness of some motorists.
-@nqotshili
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter