adminSixty-seven people died in 417 road accidents during the same period.
The province has reported an average of 16 deaths a month between January and May this year.
The highest number of deaths was recorded along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.
Masvingo Governor and Resident Minister Titus Maluleke on Saturday expressed concern at the increased road carnage in the province.
Officially launching the provincial Traffic Safety Emergency Awareness Campaign in Masvingo, Governor Maluleke said there was no need to blame the accidents on black magic.
He said most of the accidents were caused by human error.
“Masvingo province records an average of 105 road traffic collisions, 65 injuries and 16 deaths every month and be that is it may we had an unprecedented record of road traffic fatalities in our province in the past one and half months (April-10 May 2012).
“In April alone 29 lives were lost due to road traffic collisions and in May, 12 lives were lost through road traffic accidents meaning that the province lost 41 lives between 1 April and 10 May this year as result of road crashes,” hesaid.
He called for a shift from ad hoc road safetyactivities by developing and implementing sustainable road safety programmes.
Acting provincial police officer commanding Masvingo Assistant Commissioner Elliot Musvita said there was a 15 percent increase in road accidents compared to last year.
He said 417 accidents were recorded this year compared to 362 cases during the same period last year.
Asst Comm Musvita blamed most of the accidents to drunken driving and human error. He challenged stakeholders in road traffic safety to come up with a vibrant road
map dove-tailed to arrest rampant road carnage to in Masvingo.
The launch was held under the theme, ‘”Save Lives, Save Money. Save property. Masvingo says No to road carnage.”
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter