Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
STAKEHOLDERS in Matabeleland South have welcomed the proposed Road Accident Fund (RAF) Bill, calling for the devolution and decentralisation of its processes to ensure swift and efficient compensation for road traffic accident victims.
The Bill — which is under public consultation — seeks to establish a national fund that compensates victims of road accidents across Zimbabwe. It aims to strengthen post-crash management, improve response systems and cushion affected families from the financial burden associated with road accidents.
During a consultation meeting held in Gwanda yesterday, participants that included local authorities, civic society organisations (CSOs), parastatals, traditional leaders and residents, urged that compensation and administrative functions of the fund be handled at provincial and district levels to avoid bureaucratic delays.
Gwanda Municipality Town Clerk, Ms Priscillah Nkala, said local authorities often bear unbudgeted costs when responding to accidents through ambulance and fire brigade services.
“Traffic accidents are not within our jurisdiction but we often have to offer services like providing fire engines and ambulances. We have to use money paid by ratepayers to provide emergency services, which affects service delivery,” she said.
“May we have something allocated towards us as local authorities under the Road Accident Fund, which will help us to assist and respond to road traffic accidents.”
Gwanda mayor, Alderman Thulani Moyo, said the fund should also cater for dependants of victims, particularly breadwinners whose death or injury affects family livelihoods.
“The bill must also make provision for dependants of victims rather than the victims only. There’s also need to improve hospital infrastructure to cater for accident victims, as facilities often become overwhelmed,” he said.
Alderman Moyo also called for decentralised disbursement mechanisms to ensure timeous payments.
“If the process is centralised in Harare, it might take long, thereby defeating the purpose of assisting accident victims promptly,” he said.
Alderman Moyo further urged the Government to ensure the fund also tackles underlying causes of road accidents, such as poor roads, stray livestock and unsafe bridges.
Mr Witness Hove, representing the Gwanda Transporters Association, cautioned against the proposed fuel levy to finance the fund, arguing it would raise fuel prices and public transport costs without addressing the issue of unregistered vehicles.
“The levy will just increase the cost of fuel and transport fares while the unregistered vehicles remain off the radar,” he said.
Other participants called for the establishment of emergency service centres along highways to ensure timely response to accident scenes, instead of relying solely on distant municipal services.
Delivering a keynote address on behalf of Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Felix Mhona, Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council vice board chairperson, Ms Lizwe Bhunu, said the Bill aligns with the country’s five road safety pillars — road safety management, safer roads and mobility, road user attitudes, safer vehicles and a sustainable post-crash management model.
“Zimbabwe’s road traffic accident statistics indicate that a significant number of lives are lost as a result of road accidents on a regular basis. This state of affairs is compounded by increasing vehicle population, which strains infrastructure and leads to more fatalities,” said Minister Mhona.
“This Road Accident Fund Bill represents a solid commitment to building a robust post-crash management regime.”
Minister Mhona said while insurance companies have played an important role, the Road Accident Fund would enable shared responsibility between Government and the private sector, expanding the social safety net to cover all citizens, including vulnerable road users.
In a speech read on her behalf by Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) managing director, Mr Munesu Munodawafa, Permanent Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, said Government is committed to establishing a coordinated national framework to improve post-crash response and compensation mechanisms.
“The formulation of such a framework of national significance necessitates the inclusion of all stakeholders,” she said.
The Road Accident Fund, approved in principle by Cabinet in June, will provide emergency treatment, medical and funeral expenses and compensation for accident victims and their families. The initiative is part of Zimbabwe’s commitment to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030, in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030.
According to the Road Safety Performance Review launched by President Mnangagwa in 2022, a traffic crash occurs every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe, with more than 35 000 crashes recorded annually. On average, five people die every day, over 1 800 are killed each year, and more than 10 000 are injured.
