Zimbabwe urged to overhaul of drink-driving laws

The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) Zimbabwe has welcomed the recent deployment of evidential breathalysers but cautioned that outdated drink-driving laws and weak policy structures continue to compromise national road safety efforts.

The warning was issued during the Regional Media Workers' Conversations held last week, where journalists, researchers and alcohol-harm advocates from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe discussed the connection between alcohol availability and gender-based violence. The meeting highlighted alcohol as a major driver of intimate partner abuse, sexual violence, community trauma and youth vulnerability across Southern Africa.

SAAPA Zimbabwe coordinator, Tungamirirai Zimonte, said technology alone was not enough to curb drink-driving without updated laws that reflect modern science and global norms.

"Zimbabwe does have a legal blood-alcohol concentration limit of 0,08g per 100ml under the Road Traffic Act," he said. "But the limit is outdated. Most countries now use 0,05, and the WHO recommends zero tolerance for public-transport and commercial drivers - a crucial gap given Zimbabwe's heavy reliance on commuter transport."

Zimonte added that enforcement has historically been weak due to the absence of evidential breath-testing devices. While their rollout marks progress, he said legislative reform remains the most important tool in preventing harm.

"The legal framework has not been modernised to integrate drink-driving enforcement with broader alcohol-control policy mechanisms. Breathalysers catch harm; policy prevents harm," he noted.

Official data shows the scale of the challenge. Zimbabwe recorded 52 288 road crashes in 2024, resulting in 2 015 deaths and more than 10 000 injuries. Early 2025 media and police reports indicate accidents continue to increase, with human error - including alcohol impairment - cited as a leading cause.

"These are not just numbers; they represent preventable deaths and preventable harm," Zimonte said.

He urged authorities to update and implement the National Alcohol Policy, harmonise it with the Drug Master Plan, and introduce modern blood-alcohol concentration limits, including zero tolerance for public-transport operators. He also called for tighter licensing control in high-risk areas and for a portion of alcohol-excise revenue to be ring-fenced for enforcement, trauma care and road-safety programming.

Neighbouring countries face similar challenges, but Zimbabwe remains among the worst affected. South Africa recorded more than 12 000 road deaths in 2024, while Botswana continues to battle high crash rates linked to speeding, inexperience and alcohol.

Stakeholders at the regional forum stressed that policy reform, backed by evidence and community-centric implementation, is essential if countries are to reduce preventable deaths and curb the intertwined crises of alcohol abuse and gender-based violence.