by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole
Juru, Murewa – Zimbabwe’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Hon. Adv. F.T. Mhona, has launched the 2025 Festive Season Road Safety Education, Enforcement and Awareness Campaign in Juru (Murewa).
The event aims to reduce road accidents and fatalities during the festive season, which typically sees an increase in traffic volume and road traffic densities.
In his keynote address, Minister Mhona highlighted the alarming statistics of road accidents in Zimbabwe, with an average of 5 people dying on the roads daily, 153 persons killed monthly, and approximately 2,000 deaths annually. He emphasised that road safety is everyone’s responsibility and urged drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to exercise extreme caution and vigilance on the roads.
“Our relatives and friends will be travelling in and out of Zimbabwe and the neighbouring countries throughout the region. Accordingly, road traffic densities increase at a time when the rainy season is at its peak. All these factors create unfortunate occurrences of fatalities on our roads,” Mhona said.
“The year 2025 was not without unfortunate incidences on our roads, with an average of 5 people die on our roads each day, 153 persons are killed per month and this translates to +/- 2000 deaths annually. On average, 38 people are injured everyday on the roads in Zimbabwe and this translates to 38 680 persons injured annually,” Mhona added.
“Zimbabwe loses about US$406 million annually from an average 40 000 road traffic accidents every year translating to 3% of GDP lost due to road crashes. These figures rain high and call for our diligence,” he said.
The government has implemented various measures to enhance road safety, including the establishment of a post-crash management system, deployment of ambulances at tollgates and accident-prone spots, and the introduction of new regulations requiring public passenger vehicle drivers to be at least 30 years old with a minimum of 5 years driving experience.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) lead the campaign, working closely with law enforcement agencies, transport operators and other stakeholders to promote road safety and enforce traffic regulations. The campaign will include roadshows, awareness programs, and enforcement activities to deter reckless driving and promote responsible road behavior.
Minister Mhona urged all road users to prioritise safety, avoid speeding, overloading, and driving under the influence of alcohol, and to wear seatbelts and helmets. He also called on transport operators to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and equipped with speed-limiting devices.