Preventable Tragedies: Zim’s Road Deaths Reflect I...

Preventable Tragedies: Zim’s Road Deaths Reflect Institutional Inaction

Oscar J Jeke- Zim Now Reporter

Every year, Zimbabwe experiences a troubling spike in road accidents during the Easter and Independence holidays.

This disturbing pattern raises an urgent question: is this seasonal surge in traffic carnage the result of flawed road safety strategies, or merely an unavoidable outcome of increased travel volumes?

A closer examination of Zimbabwe Republic Police statistics from 2023 to 2025 challenges the notion of inevitability and instead highlights systemic institutional weaknesses, lapses in enforcement, and missed opportunities for reform.

In 2023, the Easter holidays recorded 288 accidents, resulting in 29 deaths and 145 injuries. The following year saw a marginal decrease to 286 accidents and 27 deaths, although injuries increased to 159. During the 2023 Independence Day holiday, 133 crashes led to four deaths. In 2024, while crashes dropped to 100, fatalities more than doubled to nine.

The festive seasons tell a similar story. Between December 15 and January 15 of 2023/2024, 3,607 crashes were recorded, leaving 162 dead and 821 injured. The 2024/2025 festive period saw fewer total crashes—2,936—but the death toll remained stubbornly high at 155, with 938 injuries.

These statistics suggest a disturbing trend: while accident frequency may be slightly declining due to increased awareness, the severity of accidents is escalating, leading to more deaths and injuries per incident.

The ZRP attributes most accidents to human error—speeding, fatigue, misjudgment, overtaking violations, and general negligence. However, the repetition of these causes over the years points to a deeper failure in both prevention and enforcement. Zimbabweans travel long distances during holidays, often under time pressure, which increases fatigue and risky behaviour.

Many use poorly maintained private vehicles or unlicensed pirate taxis, further raising the danger. Yet, despite these known risks, law enforcement and safety institutions have fallen into a predictable cycle of seasonal, reactive measures.

The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe and the ZRP continue to rely on traditional and largely symbolic efforts. Holiday campaigns like “Safety Starts With Me, Safety Starts With You,” free toll passes, and reflective stickers are commendable but insufficient. TSCZ’s public engagements tend to be ceremonial and episodic, failing to instil long-term behavioural change. While events like the recent Glendale launch—attended by high-ranking ministers—project political will, they seldom translate into consistent, impactful policies or enforcement.

ZRP’s deployment of officers often lacks visibility in rural or high-risk areas, and operations frequently devolve into revenue collection exercises rather than genuine road safety enforcement. This is compounded by deeply entrenched corruption within traffic police units, with reports of bribes taken from drivers operating without licenses or with unroadworthy vehicles—further weakening the rule of law.

TSCZ, whose mandate includes education, research, and stakeholder coordination, appears ill-equipped—or unwilling—to embrace a forward-thinking, data-driven approach. There is little evidence of comprehensive campaigns targeting schools, youth, or high-risk driver groups.

No visible investment has been made in modern enforcement technologies such as automated speed cameras, real-time driver tracking, or mobile accident reporting platforms. Accident blackspots are seldom mapped or prioritized for engineering solutions. The reactive nature of their work suggests a strategic void and a lack of political urgency to treat road safety as a public health crisis rather than a holiday inconvenience.

Lessons from regional counterparts make it clear that road safety can be improved with strategic consistency, technology, and political will. South Africa’s Arrive Alive campaign demonstrates how sustained media outreach, speed cameras, and real-time monitoring can reduce fatality rates. In 2024, South Africa recorded a 10% decrease in Easter road fatalities compared to 2023, partly due to intensive education campaigns and visible enforcement.

Botswana, meanwhile, has instituted random inspections of long-distance vehicles and strictly enforces rules on vehicle overloading and roadworthiness. These checks are used not only for enforcement but also for education, with officers handing out brochures and conducting road safety talks on the spot.

Namibia’s success lies in its proactive use of reflective road signage, solar-powered traffic lights, and mandatory resting schedules for long-distance drivers. These interventions directly address fatigue—one of Zimbabwe’s top crash causes—but remain absent in local policy.

Zimbabwe can learn and adapt by implementing a set of focused, practical reforms. First, the institutional structures of the ZRP and TSCZ must be overhauled to eliminate corruption and enhance accountability. A shift from holiday-based campaigns to year-round engagement through schools, workplaces, and digital platforms would help build a lasting culture of safety.

Data must be central—blackspots should be identified and re-engineered, and transparent reporting should become standard practice.

Technology must also play a greater role. Installing automated speed traps, using breathalysers, deploying real-time tracking of public transport fleets, and establishing a public dashboard for safety alerts can greatly enhance enforcement without requiring massive manpower. Public transport reform is overdue; drivers should be subjected to mandatory rest periods, and operators held accountable through regular audits.

Incentivizing compliance—such as offering discounts on insurance or road taxes to safe drivers—can change behaviour without coercion. Finally, Zimbabwe should collaborate with regional peers on cross-border road safety campaigns during holidays, promoting a shared culture of caution and respect for life.

Ultimately, road deaths during Easter and Independence holidays are not natural disasters—they are man-made, preventable tragedies that reflect the choices, priorities, and failures of national institutions.

Unless the ZRP and TSCZ commit to continuous, technology-enhanced, corruption-free enforcement and invest in a holistic approach to road safety education, these tragic headlines will keep returning with each holiday season.

The solution is neither new nor complicated—it simply requires the political will to implement what has already worked elsewhere, and the moral courage to admit that lives are being lost not by accident, but by inaction.