Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
A TEAM of legal experts has completed draft legislation for the proposed Road Accident Fund Bill, a step towards establishing a system to provide crucial support for victims of road traffic accidents.
This follows a series of public consultations held in Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, Midlands and Mashonaland West provinces.
The Bill is designed to offer timely medical aid, cover funeral expenses and provide compensation to those injured and the families of those killed in road accidents.
In an interview, Advocate Kingston Magaya, a legal advisor and director in Government, confirmed the draft’s completion.
“As part of the development of the Draft Bill, public consultations were held to enable the drafting team to craft legislation that responds to the real challenges that occur post-road crash,” Adv Magaya said.
He said the collaborative drafting was led by Mr Jameson Mukaratirwa, the Director of Legal Drafting in the Attorney General’s Office, with input from experts from key institutions, including the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC), the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe.
“The collaborative approach is aimed at expediting the process and augmenting the Attorney General’s staff,” he added.
The finalised draft will now be presented to Parliament by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to begin the formal law-making process.
The initiative gained momentum in June when Cabinet approved the principles of the Bill.
The fund will be primarily financed through a levy on motor vehicle insurance premiums.
The Bill forms a central part of the Government’s strategy to achieve safer, sustainable transport and to meet an ambitious target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 percent by 2030.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Felix Mhona, recently highlighted the critical need for this legislation, citing alarming road safety statistics.
“According to the report, in Zimbabwe, a traffic crash occurs every 15 minutes, over 35 000 crashes occur annually, an average of at least five people are killed every day, over 1,800 people die every year and over 10,000 people are injured annually,” Minister Mhona said.
He attributed this crisis to an increasing vehicle population, which places further strain on road infrastructure and leads to more crashes and fatalities.
Minister Mhona placed the Bill within a broader national and global context, noting that it aligns with the United Nations’ Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030) and the Sustainable Development Goals, which explicitly target a reduction in road traffic casualties.
“The inclusion of specific road safety targets in Agenda 2030 reflects universal recognition that death and injury from road crashes are now among the most serious threats to countries’ sustainable development. This means that road safety cannot be compromised or traded off to achieve other social needs,” the Minister said.
He added that Government’s road safety strategy is anchored on five key pillars: Road Safety Management; Safer Roads and Mobility; Responsible Road User Attitudes; Safer Vehicles; and the establishment of a robust post-crash management model, which the Road Accident Fund is designed to provide.
