News / National
Punish reckless drivers, says Mnangagwa
01 Sep 2018 at 08:47hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday directed the police to descend heavily on reckless drivers as he consoled families that lost relatives when a Chawasarira bus collided head-on with a commuter omnibus at the 152km peg along the Harare-Bulawayo highway on Thursday morning.
The accident killed 13 people on the spot and left 23 others injured. Tragedy struck near Muzvezve River Bridge, about 10km outside Kadoma City at around 9am when the kombi, which was on its way from Empress Mine, encroached into the lane of the oncoming bus.
In a statement, the President said: "The death of 13 commuters in a traffic accident near Kadoma yesterday has once again highlighted the needless loss of precious lives on our roads through negligent driving. That so many lives continue to be lost repeatedly suggests growing indiscipline on our roads.
"A robust response by way of enforcement of traffic rules is thus required. All transport operators must respect life and limb by ensuring that their vehicles are roadworthy and that their drivers exercise maximum caution on the road."
President Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to support and stand by the bereaved families. He said Government will assist the families by meeting all funeral and burial expenses. "On behalf of the party, zanu-pf, and Government and on my own behalf, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to families which have lost their loved ones in this bloody accident. In the same vein, I wish speedy recovery to all those injured in the same accident," he said.
"While the exact circumstance of the accident are being investigated, Government will, with immediate effect, step in to assist bereaved families in ways set out in our policy on such disasters."
The President urged the police to be tough on negligent drivers.
The accident killed 13 people on the spot and left 23 others injured. Tragedy struck near Muzvezve River Bridge, about 10km outside Kadoma City at around 9am when the kombi, which was on its way from Empress Mine, encroached into the lane of the oncoming bus.
In a statement, the President said: "The death of 13 commuters in a traffic accident near Kadoma yesterday has once again highlighted the needless loss of precious lives on our roads through negligent driving. That so many lives continue to be lost repeatedly suggests growing indiscipline on our roads.
"A robust response by way of enforcement of traffic rules is thus required. All transport operators must respect life and limb by ensuring that their vehicles are roadworthy and that their drivers exercise maximum caution on the road."
President Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to support and stand by the bereaved families. He said Government will assist the families by meeting all funeral and burial expenses. "On behalf of the party, zanu-pf, and Government and on my own behalf, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to families which have lost their loved ones in this bloody accident. In the same vein, I wish speedy recovery to all those injured in the same accident," he said.
"While the exact circumstance of the accident are being investigated, Government will, with immediate effect, step in to assist bereaved families in ways set out in our policy on such disasters."
The President urged the police to be tough on negligent drivers.
Source - the herald
