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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
THE Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) in conjunction with the South African Road Accident Fund is conducting joint road safety awareness campaigns in the two countries to reduce carnage on the roads during the festive season.
In an interview at the launch of the awareness campaigns in Gwanda on Wednesday TSCZ acting director of operations Mr Ernest Muchenu said the campaigns started in Matabeleland South on Wednesday and end on Monday and will move to South Africa on January 8 and end on January 13. He said this was the second joint road safety awareness campaign between the two countries as the first was conducted during the 2016-2017 festive season.
“We are conducting the Zimbabwe/South Africa joint road safety awareness campaigns in Matabeleland South. We are working in conjunction with the South African Road Accident Fund, ZRP and other stakeholders. From 18 to 20 December we will be along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road at Maphane area, from 20 to 22 December we will be along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road in Bubi area while on 23 December we will be in Beitbridge. From 8 to 13 January we will move to South Africa.
“There is a lot of inter-country traffic movement between Zimbabwe and South Africa especially during the festive season hence the need to hold these joint campaigns. As people travel on roads, they tend to disregard road regulations and through these campaigns we want to remind them of the importance of adhering to road traffic rules and regulations,” he said.
Mr Muchenu said the TSCZ deployed 20 teams nationwide that were conducting periodic road safety awareness campaigns running from December 16 to January 3.
Speaking at the same event Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Minister, Cde Abednico Ncube, said Sadc had come up with the initiative for countries sharing borders to carry out joint road safety awareness campaigns. He said there was an increase in the volume of inter-country traffic especially between Zimbabwe and South Africa from November 15 to December 16 each year which resulted in an increase in road accidents.
“Last year during this period 49 accidents were recorded along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. Three people were killed and 20 were injured. Two accidents have been recorded along the same highway since December 1 to date with seven fatalities and 20 injuries. The major causes being speeding, fatigue, animals and overtaking errors.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the South African Road Accident Fund for being part of these road safety awareness campaigns. I urge all stakeholders to take an active role in these campaigns in order to ensure their success,’’ he said.
South African Road Accident Fund manager for statistics and reporting road safety, Mr Ndrabi Mahlangu, said there was a need for the joint campaigns to be carried out throughout the year and not just before the festive season. He said most victims of road carnage were not drivers but passengers and pedestrians.
Mr Mahlangu said there was also a need to jointly identify strategies to reduce accidents.- @DubeMatutu
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