Driving This Holiday? Over 50 Roadblocks Await Motorists on Zimbabwe’s Major Highways

Driving This Holiday? Over 50 Roadblocks Await Motorists on Zimbabwe’s Major Highways

Motorists in Zimbabwe will face over 50 roadblocks manned by officers from multiple road safety agencies this festive season.

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Zimbabwe Sets Over 50 Roadblocks on Highways For the Festive Season

The roadblocks have been placed on major highways as part of a nationwide campaign to curb speeding, using unroadworthy vehicles, and overloading. The initiative, led by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), includes officers from various law enforcement agencies inspecting public service vehicles at long-distance bus stations to ensure they are roadworthy, properly loaded, and meet safety standards before departure.

Launched last week, the 2024 road safety awareness and enforcement campaign brings together key organizations such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), and the Road Motor Transportation (RMT) department.

To enhance enforcement, 16 mobile road safety units equipped with police motorcycles and patrol vehicles have been deployed to monitor speed limits, crack down on overloaded vehicles, and verify driver certifications and permits. Additionally, 36 static roadblocks have been strategically set up along major routes to conduct thorough vehicle inspections and enforce safety regulations.

The campaign aims to ensure strict compliance with traffic laws and safety standards, reducing road accidents during the holiday season.

Rising Accident Numbers Spark Action

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Permanent Secretary Ambassador Raphael Faranisi emphasized the government’s commitment to tackling traffic violations.

“We have mobilised sufficient resources to ensure there are adequate police on the roads to check for compliance with traffic laws. Deployment will extend to residential areas to maintain peace and order and also to border posts to counter transnational organised crimes.”

This campaign comes against a backdrop of worrying road accident statistics. From January to September 2024, Zimbabwe recorded 39,461 road accidents—an 8% increase from the 36,628 incidents reported during the same period in 2023. Fatal accidents rose slightly, with 1,169 incidents compared to 1,130 last year. Tragically, 1,532 people lost their lives in these accidents, a notable increase from 1,373 fatalities in 2023.

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