Drivers Association Pushes For Professional Status For Zimbabwean Drivers
The push to overhaul Zimbabwe’s driving sector has reached Parliament, with the Drivers Association of Zimbabwe calling for drivers to be formally recognised as professionals.
The association wants lawmakers to introduce legislation that would create a statutory framework for the profession.
Its proposal would introduce minimum academic, technical and competency requirements for people seeking to work as professional drivers.
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Petition Reaches Parliament
According to The Chronicle, Association president Nicholas Mabwe signed the petition, which was handed to Parliament Clerk Kennedy Chokuda last week.
National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda informed legislators on Tuesday that the petition had been formally referred for consideration.
It has been assigned to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development.
Mudenda said the association was asking Parliament to establish legislation governing the driving profession.
The committee will now consider the proposal and engage relevant stakeholders before making recommendations to Parliament.
Drivers Association Wants Professional Body
At the centre of the proposal is the creation of a legally recognised professional body for drivers.
The proposed organisation would regulate who can enter the profession and establish the standards they must maintain.
It would also oversee professional ethics, competency requirements and disciplinary procedures.
The association wants professional drivers working in public transport, haulage and logistics to register with the proposed body.
Employers would also be expected to ensure that drivers they hire meet the required professional standards.
Mabwe Links Regulation To Road Safety
Mabwe believes Zimbabwe’s road safety problems cannot be addressed through enforcement alone.
He argues that drivers need continuous professional training and clear standards that remain applicable throughout their careers.
The association says the current system lacks a statutory institution comparable to regulators governing established professions such as law and medicine.
Mabwe believes this regulatory gap has contributed to weaknesses within the transport industry.
He cited road crashes, drink-driving, theft, assault, smuggling and other criminal conduct among the problems that could be addressed through stronger professional accountability.
Former Police Officer Behind Push
Mabwe’s proposal is also informed by his experience in law enforcement.
The association president spent two decades in the Zimbabwe Republic Police, including six years working in the Traffic Branch.
He said his experience dealing with road users and traffic-related challenges convinced him that Zimbabwe needed a long-term solution to road carnage.
The association also points to the experience of its members as evidence that professional driving standards can be achieved.
It has 15 award-winning drivers from established companies and organisations.
Some have won the Driver of the Year Competition organised by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe.
Others represented Zimbabwe at international driving competitions organised by Scania Group in South Africa, Poland and Finland.
Parliament To Consider Proposal
The association believes professionalising driving could improve accountability across the transport sector.
Its proposal would move the focus beyond simply issuing licences and enforcing traffic laws.
Instead, drivers would be expected to meet defined professional standards before entering the industry and maintain those standards afterwards.
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