Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government is tightening measures to curb road traffic accident-related deaths around the country, which saw a 93 percent surge last year when 4 069 people were killed up from 2 104 in 2023.
While the 2024 figures sky-rocketed to an all-time high, the country has been witnessing an increase in road traffic accident deaths in the last five years.
In 2020, 1 520 people were killed and in 2021 the number increased to 1 885. In 2022, 2 079 people were killed and the number further increased to 2 104 in 2023.
Three months into the year, the country has recorded fatal road traffic accidents with the recent Beitbridge-Masvingo bus accident that left the nation mourning the death of 28 people.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona said the laws were clearly spelt and as the Government, they are now tightening enforcement of those laws that provide for the punishment of operators and drivers who break them.
He said they have commissioners in the Road Motor Transportation Act and they have since decentralised them.
“We are in almost every province. If you do not comply, the minister is mandated to instruct the commissioner to make sure that we cancel the operator’s licence or de-register the operator. This is what we have done for now while we are engaging in further investigations.
“Because of the promulgation of this Road Motor Transportation Act, you find that we have got an arsenal to use and it also articulates issues to do with the licensing under the Vehicle Licensing Act where we are also saying in terms of drivers, they must not drive without retest,” said Minister Mhona.
He said he has engaged his counterpart, the Minister of Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe to tighten enforcement.
“We want to say to the police and the VID, if you allow buses to pass through manned roadblocks and the bus is involved in an accident, you must be accountable. We are not going to take it easy. The President was very serious that those who break the traffic rules must account.
“Going forward, you will see our VID and the police right from the stations making sure that there is proper documentation before a bus embarks on a journey. The exercise should be that you do not get stopped and have passengers dropped along the way because the bus is not compliant.
“You will see us making sure that we monitor our buses but above all, to the people of Zimbabwe, this calls for a holistic approach where we cannot make it ourselves. If anyone sees someone speeding and also not adhering to the rules and regulations on our roads, please feel free to raise alarm and we will act accordingly,” said Minister Mhona.
Minister Mhona also bemoaned the loss of human life sanctity and dignity among the people, saying it is both immoral and illegal to search dead bodies at the scene of accidents.
“You will find some people searching the dead bodies and helping themselves even collecting eggs that were not broken for resale.”
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa last week called on both the police and citizens to respect the country’s traffic laws and tame the traffic jungle.
“The high rate of indiscipline on our roads, which has resulted in the loss of countless lives due to road carnage, is disturbing. More worrisome is the fact that a total of 4 069 people were killed in road traffic accidents in 2024 compared to 2 104 in 2023, reflecting an astonishing 93 percent increase.
“The ZRP is challenged to tame the traffic jungle by speedily implementing the Electronic Traffic Management System. I call upon all Zimbabwean citizens to respect the country’s traffic laws and co-operate with law enforcement agencies,” said President Mnangagwa. — @nyeve14
