Five Lives Lost Daily: Government Cracks Whip on Police, VID
Every 24 hours, five Zimbabweans are killed in road traffic accidents — a grim statistic that has triggered a government crackdown on police and vehicle inspectors accused of turning a blind eye to dangerous vehicles.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona revealed the figures in the Senate last week, confirming that road fatalities now exceed 2,000 annually.
He described the situation as a national emergency that demands urgent and uncompromising action.
“We are actually worried as a Ministry with the numbers that we are witnessing on our roads, especially fatalities and even injuries.
“On average, we are witnessing five deaths per day, and per year we are in excess of 2,000, and you wonder,” Mhona said.
To address the crisis, the government has introduced a strict enforcement framework that holds the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) directly accountable.
Mhona said officers who clear vehicles at roadblocks will now be liable if those vehicles are later involved in fatal crashes.
“We have agreed that going forward, we will not take it lightly. Police and VID must ensure that if anything happens after that bus passes through a manned roadblock and is involved in an accident, the officials must be taken into account.
“They must be liable for whatever happens,” he said.
According to the Chronicle, Mhona has already engaged the Minister of Home Affairs to close enforcement loopholes.
He cited troubling cases where vehicles involved in deadly crashes were found with improper documentation — despite having just passed through police checkpoints.
The Minister also warned of suspected collusion between motorists and enforcement agents, saying corruption is undermining road safety efforts.
To counter this, the government is rolling out a technology-based traffic management system featuring surveillance cameras to reduce human interference and improve transparency.
Mhona also confirmed that breathalysers are being procured to clamp down on drunk driving, which remains a major contributor to road accidents.
Despite these measures, the Minister admitted that over 90 percent of road crashes are caused by human error.
He urged drivers to respect traffic laws and value life, emphasizing the role of public education campaigns led by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe.
“We must value life. Let us adhere to road rules and regulations.
“We are continuing with awareness campaigns to educate our drivers and the public,” Mhona said.
The new enforcement strategy signals a major shift in how Zimbabwe tackles road safety — placing responsibility not only on drivers, but also on those entrusted with keeping the roads safe.
With five lives lost every day, authorities say the time for excuses is over.
