MDC Mash East Province Condolence message for road accident victims

The MDC Mashonaland East province and the rest of the MDC family led by Prof. Welshman Ncube joins the people of Zimbabwe in mourning the loss of 25 people in a road accident involving two buses on the Harare- Nyamapanda Highway today.

On behalf of the MDC, we send our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic and senseless accident. May their souls rest in peace. We wish the injured people a speedy recovery.

This carnage must stop. It is completely unacceptable. The fact that our roads have gained notoriety in the deaths of our people means there is something very wrong with our transport system. We urge the Transport Ministry to ensure that the millions of United States dollars earned from tollgates and other transport revenue streams annually are actually used on our roads to ensure they are safe.

One of the most potent indicators of the state of any nation is the condition of its roads. The poor state of our roads speaks of a nation in tatters. Virtually all roads in the country are in utter ruin, making travelling an ordeal. Vehicular movement has become difficult, especially with the onslaught of the rains.

Our roads have virtually become death traps as potholes continue to get worse. And what is saddening about all this is that the Ministry of transport seems to be taking its own sweet time repairing the roads. How many more people must die on the roads before the Ministry of Transport does its job? We would also like to urge drivers of public transport to exercise the utmost care when on the roads so as to protect the lives of their passengers.