Story by ZBC Reporter
PRESIDENT Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed Government to urgently speed up the re-establishment of road maintenance units across the country and mobilise adequate resources for repairs to damaged highways following a recent spate of fatal road accidents.
The directive comes after three major road traffic accidents claimed 24 lives within five days, including the latest crash along the Gokwe-Kwekwe Road where 10 people died following a head-on collision between a bus and a haulage truck on Wednesday.
In a statement on Thursday, President Mnangagwa described the recent accidents as deeply disturbing and called for immediate intervention by all agencies responsible for road safety.
“I am also directing Government to speed up the re-establishment of road maintenance units across the country, and to avail adequate resources for impactful remedial work on our weather-damaged highways and roads,” President Mnangagwa said.
The Head of State said the recent rise in fatal road accidents must compel authorities to act decisively to end the loss of life on the country’s roads.
“In a space of five days, our nation has witnessed three major road traffic accidents in which 24 innocent lives have perished,” he said.
“The latest in this bloody trail is a head-on collision involving a bus and a haulage truck along the Gokwe-Kwekwe Road, which claimed 10 more people only yesterday.”
The latest tragedy follows another fatal accident in Hwange on Saturday which also claimed 10 lives.
President Mnangagwa said Government departments and agencies tasked with ensuring road safety must strengthen coordination and enforcement measures targeting reckless driving and unroadworthy vehicles.
“This grave turn of mishaps on our roads must exercise our collective conscience and spur Government Departments and Agencies involved in ensuring road safety to act with urgency and greater coordination so the carnage is stopped,” he said.
“The latest spate of accidents calls for drastic measures and lasting solutions targeting irresponsible behaviour and unroadworthy vehicles on our roads.”
The President also extended condolences to families who lost relatives in the recent accidents and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
“As I condole with, and extend Government assistance to the bereaved and affected families, I wish all those injured in the three accidents speedy recovery,” he said.
