First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, who is the country's road safety patron, has decried rising road traffic accidents saying the public transport sector in particular holds a significant responsibility in ensuring the safety and well-being of all citizens.
In a first-of-its-kind highly subscribed meeting with stakeholders in the transport sector yesterday, Dr Mnangagwa, who is also the patron of the National Transport and Drivers Association, said she was concerned with the current wave of accidents which demanded urgent solutions to save innocent lives.
Those in attendance included officials from the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, the City of Harare, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Harare Youth Transporters, Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors (ZUDAC), GHACO, Passenger Association of Zimbabwe, Lifestyle Youth Association, Women in Transport Zimbabwe Association, among others.
Amai Mnangagwa invited these groups and relevant stakeholders to engage in an open and honest dialogue about the causes of the escalating crisis so as to collectively formulate actionable solutions that will effectively address the urgent national concern.
It emerged during discussions that the major causes of accidents were recklessness on the part of drivers, fatigue, driving under the influence of alcohol, use of incompetent drivers (popularly known as kuburukirana), defective vehicles and the quest to hit targets at the expense of safety.
In a bid to foster orderliness, Dr Mnangagwa made sure 12 member committees were formed for three key associations, namely the Drivers Association, Rank Marshal's Association and Passenger's Association.
The groups welcomed the idea saying the mushrooming of various associations was doing more harm than good to the people.
"It is with a heavy heart, yet with a spirit of steadfast hope that I stand before you today. We gather, not for celebration, but for a crucial dialogue, a critical introspection on a matter that profoundly impacts the lives of every Zimbabwean, the issue being the escalating crisis of road accidents and the tragic loss of precious human lives on our national roads. It is from this perspective, the perspective of profound concern and unwavering commitment that I come to you today. The rising tide of road traffic accidents in our nation has reached a critical juncture. The statistics, stark and alarming, paint a grim picture of suffering, loss and shattered dreams," she said.
Everyday, the First Lady said, families were being torn apart, futures extinguished and communities were being left reeling from the devastating consequences of preventable tragedies.
"We cannot be in good conscience. This silent epidemic cannot continue to claim lives and inflict irreparable damage to our nation. My deep concern stems only not from the alarming numbers but also from the intimate stories behind each statistic including the children orphaned, the parents bereaved, and the families struggling to cope with the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one. Each life lost on our roads is a tragedy, a profound loss to our nation and a stark reminder of the urgent need for change.
Your presence here today signifies your commitment to this cause. The commitment that I deeply appreciate and commend. The public transport sector in particular holds a significant responsibility in ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens. Millions of Zimbabweans rely on public transportation every day to commute to work, access essential services and connect with their families and communities," she said.
Road safety, she said, was an unwavering priority that transcended all other considerations.
"Road carnage is not an unavoidable reality, rather it is a preventable tragedy. It is a consequence of choices and of failure to adhere to safety regulations and prioritise the well-being of our passengers and inability to realise the responsibility of lives under your care. We have heard a lot about accidents on our roads. In years gone by, we complained of bad roads that damaged both our vehicles and passengers. After the roads were repaired, we sadly witnessed a spike in deaths countrywide and not in Harare alone. All roads from Beitbridge to Manicaland, Mashonaland West everywhere there are accidents. Some of these deaths leave people handicapped and they cannot be able to do anything in the future. Were you certified by the Vehicle Inspectorate Department as a competent driver? Where is your defensive driving certificate? Sometimes a car fails and you continue accelerating, thus forcing something that is not in perfect working order. This brings into question whether or not you understood the Highway Code. Is your driver's licence genuine? Did you acquire it from the relevant authorities? Did you undertake the requisite test? Did you read and understand the Highway Code? The Highway Code tells you what to do and what not to do. We as mothers cry whenever someone dies nekuti tisu tinotakura nine months. Taneta kuchema sana amai," she said.
The First Lady said she was appalled by some public service vehicle drivers who were always speeding even on pavements and driving against the flow of traffic.
"Know that the long arm of the law will catch up with you," she said. Dr Mnangagwa made reference to the recent Dzivaresekwa Turn-off accident saying it pained her because people were killed, including a couple.
"What will those orphaned children do? Is it a quest for money or targets that is driving you to do this? Let us discuss what should be done. The other issue I observed is that of transport associations which are mushrooming. Can we not have a solid association to oversee that we reduce accidents? I am opening the floor," she said, before calling upon everyone present to observe a moment of silence for those who perished in road accidents.
A representative of the passengers association said some drivers worked under the influence of alcohol and drugs hence the accidents.
"As passengers, it is our wish to be carried and arrive alive. Some kombis are not part of associations which makes it difficult for police to identify them whenever they break the law. As we see it, some drivers and conductors work under the influence of alcohol because bars are all over including near ranks. There are also people who sell illicit drugs like mitoriro, mbanje and bronco in the ranks. These people are causing accidents," he said.
Mr Elisha Masango laid the blame on the shoulders of kombi owners who set high targets.
"Amai, the other contributory factor is the issue of targets. Whenever the kombi owners meet, they share information on targets and no one wants to be paid less. They then put pressure on the driver to hit the target and this makes the kombi crew do anything possible to reach the target," he said.
Mr Robert Makunike, a kombi driver who operates from Market Square, spoke about dysfunctional traffic lights on many roads.
He said the broken-down traffic lights caused traffic jams and accidents and pleaded with the City of Harare to look into the issue.
An association member blamed transport owners for employing drivers without checking whether they had licences and defensive driving certificates.
He further blamed drivers for letting unlicensed conductors drive at the expense of public safety.
Mr Moreblessing Takayendesa, a transport owner, shared some grim statistics.
"Amai in Harare we have 16 000 kombis, but only 2 500 are registered under associations. Kombis that are unregistered are causing problems. If a vehicle is under an association it would be easily recognised because it will be branded. Those not branded will hit and run without a trace," he said.
Another operator said the increase in the number of associations was not to serve the people, but for profiteering, hence the proliferation of associations since all members paid subscriptions.
Mr Desmond Chendambuya said some kombi owners were not servicing their vehicles resulting in them operating with worn out tyres. He also pointed at fatigue saying drivers were not resting as they had no off days since the operator did not hire relief drivers.
A council official said the First Lady's interface was critical. He thanked President Mnangagwa for his efforts in road rehabilitation.
"What we are witnessing on our roads is uncalled for, roads were fixed, but still people are dying. That is not proper because this is due to human error. That is what we are here for. The greatest power that has been suggested by our mother is to come up with three solid associations which are powerful because what is happening in all these associations is a mere quest for money. We are failing to self-regulate and wait to be arrested by the council. Do we have the power to instil values in one another? As council, we sat down and have a resolution to place boom gates at all ranks where we levy fees and we sat down with some associations and discussed with them," he said.
A representative of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Mr Dzingai Mafusire, Commissioner of Road Motor Transportation Management, said the frequency of accidents on the roads was worrisome.
"Road accidents are bad and each time there is an accident we feel the burden, we feel the pressure and our honourable minister is very committed to issues to do with road safety. As a ministry, we support the issue of associations and we have used our administrative powers to recognise associations. We however, saw that there are a lot of associations that are sprouting. There is need for a statutory instrument governing the operations of the associations. In addition to that, we have also requested the City of Harare, through the Ministry of Local Government, to come up with a transport policy. A similar arrangement was made in Bulawayo and it is working well, there is order. Harare's transport policy helps plan the ferrying of people. As you are aware, our city has grown exponentially to over six million people whose daily needs require proper planning and coordination. The transport policy will help the council to get into some contractual agreements with associations that are there and this helps empower the associations to manage ranks and lure investment," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
A police representative Superintendent Chitakatira Oliver blamed accidents on some driving schools that were not teaching people properly since most accidents were attributable to human error as opposed to mechanical fault.
"We should have a positive attitude to protect people. As police, we can't say we are 100 percent perfect, but there are mechanisms we have put in place to curb the complaints and we have numbers to make reports to," he said.
TSCZ boss Mr Munesu Munodawafa said they were going to purchase breathalysers to keep drivers in check.
"As TSCZ we have a tender to purchase breathalysers which are coming in a few weeks' time. The breathalysers will be used by the police on the road. We are also planning to have road traps. Our Government gave us the mandate to work with the police by availing speed traps to the ZRP," he said.
The First Lady concurred that rank marshals were getting drunk and ended up forcing travellers to board certain vehicles and some people lost goods in the fracas.
"Be sober, presentable and responsible. I will visit the ranks personally to observe. Why are drivers letting unlicensed people drive? Why are you driving under the influence of alcohol and keeping a bottle under the seat? Why drive with a fake licence my children?" she said.
"To the City of Harare, yes you spoke about plans but what do we do now in terms of bus stops and ranks so that we tame this jungle madness because if they rank, they will be controlled swiftly without difficulties," she said.
Dr Mnangagwa urged transport operators to sit down and discuss the issue of targets that were contributing to accidents.
Acting Harare town clerk Engineer Phakamile Mabhena emphasised the need for self introspection as mentioned by the First Lady to address some of the challenges raised at the meeting. "The way everyone was speaking here shows that the challenge we have at hand is easy to solve. We do not need someone from afar to come and solve the challenge for us, but we ourselves have the solution. All of us from council to rank marshals, drivers, operators, police, all of us, no one is left behind. The other issue our mother spoke about is the need for dialogue. As we sit here we are not working closely together, dialogue builds us so that we sit down and come up with one resolution and look after the people. We thank you mhamha for bringing us together and giving us something to think about. Let us not chase after money at the expense of everything else, including safety," he said.
