News / Local
Chiwenga takes minister Mhona to task
19 Oct 2022 at 20:27hrs | Views
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has tasked the Minister of transport and Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona to rein in errant drivers and drafting measures to mitigate road carnage.
Chiwenga, who was responding to questions during a Parliamentary session, said government is going to hold consultations and brainstorm on possible solutions to curb carnage following the Nyanga accident that claimed the lives of six Tynwald High School students.
Responding to sentiments shared by Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy leader, Tendai Biti, who alleged that government had failed to timeously attend to accident scene, Chiwenga said;
"When the accident happened, the first clear mistake was that it was during the night, children should never travel at night and that accident occurred during the night.
"That matter is being addressed by the relevant Ministry, which is the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education."
"We have discussed that matter, Mr. Speaker Sir. The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development is also going to be holding seminars to address the issue of drivers on highways and what needs to be done," he added.
According to Chiwenga, after consultations, the government, through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, will present a set of measures aimed at reducing unwarranted road accidents.
"Once he has done that programme which he has been ordered to do, he will come with a Ministerial Statement to Parliament.
"He will advise Parliament on what the Government is doing to alleviate this problem," the VP said.
Prior to the VP's remarks, Biti, also Harare East legislator, had raised concerns over the responsiveness of emergency services saying the government lacked proper resources to execute such tasks.
"I am also concerned about State failure. When that accident took place in Nyanga, there was no emergency service," Biti said.
"The bus plunged into a canyon. There was no emergency service in Nyanga, Rusape and Mutare to lift the children from the gully that they had sunk into.
"There was no Fire Brigade. There was nothing – State failure. Mr. Speaker Sir, we are losing unnecessary lives and the Government of the day must come up with measures to ensure that we do not lose lives to unnecessary processes," he said.
Chiwenga, who was responding to questions during a Parliamentary session, said government is going to hold consultations and brainstorm on possible solutions to curb carnage following the Nyanga accident that claimed the lives of six Tynwald High School students.
Responding to sentiments shared by Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy leader, Tendai Biti, who alleged that government had failed to timeously attend to accident scene, Chiwenga said;
"When the accident happened, the first clear mistake was that it was during the night, children should never travel at night and that accident occurred during the night.
"That matter is being addressed by the relevant Ministry, which is the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education."
"We have discussed that matter, Mr. Speaker Sir. The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development is also going to be holding seminars to address the issue of drivers on highways and what needs to be done," he added.
"Once he has done that programme which he has been ordered to do, he will come with a Ministerial Statement to Parliament.
"He will advise Parliament on what the Government is doing to alleviate this problem," the VP said.
Prior to the VP's remarks, Biti, also Harare East legislator, had raised concerns over the responsiveness of emergency services saying the government lacked proper resources to execute such tasks.
"I am also concerned about State failure. When that accident took place in Nyanga, there was no emergency service," Biti said.
"The bus plunged into a canyon. There was no emergency service in Nyanga, Rusape and Mutare to lift the children from the gully that they had sunk into.
"There was no Fire Brigade. There was nothing – State failure. Mr. Speaker Sir, we are losing unnecessary lives and the Government of the day must come up with measures to ensure that we do not lose lives to unnecessary processes," he said.
Source - NewZimbabwe
