Freeman Razemba in VICTORIA FALLS
NATIONWIDE consultations on the proposed Road Accident Fund (RAF) Bill, a key legislative reform aimed at providing medical care, compensation and funeral assistance to victims are nearing completion.
Officials from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development have held stakeholder consultations in all other provinces,except for Harare.
Chiefs and various interest groups welcomed Government’s move to introduce a comprehensive post-crash support system.
Dates for consultations in Harare were expected to be announced soon.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a statutory fund that will offer timely medical assistance, cover funeral expenses and provide compensation to people injured in road traffic accidents, as well as to families of the deceased.
Authorities say the legislation will fundamentally overhaul Zimbabwe’s post-crash response and strengthen the country’s social protection framework.
Government officials have described the RAF Bill as a critical pillar in achieving Vision 2030, arguing that safer transport systems and effective post-crash management are essential for sustainable development.
Feedback from earlier consultations indicates growing public consensus around the need for broader reform beyond compensation.
Citizens and traditional leaders have called for a more proactive and preventive approach to road safety, including greater investment in safer road engineering, improved signage and sustained public awareness campaigns.
Stakeholders have also urged Government to capacitate health facilities so that clinics and hospitals are better equipped to manage trauma cases.
Another key proposal has been the ring-fencing of part of the fund’s resources for road rehabilitation, particularly in accident-prone areas.
The emphasis on accident prevention has emerged as a recurring theme throughout the consultations.
Addressing stakeholders in Victoria Falls yesterday in a speech read on his behalf by Central Vehicle Registry Registrar Mr Saston Muzenda, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said Zimbabwe’s push for the RAF Bill is anchored in alarming road accident statistics.
“According to the Road Safety Performance Review, a traffic crash occurs every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe. Over 35 000 crashes occur annually, an average of at least five people are killed every day, more than 1 800 people die every year and over 10 000 are injured annually,” said Minister Mhona.
He said the Road Safety Performance Review, which was launched by President Mnangagwa on January 12, 2022, was conducted to strengthen Zimbabwe’s road safety management capacity and improve the national road safety record.
Minister Mhona noted that the situation is being worsened by a growing vehicle population, which is placing increasing pressure on road infrastructure, leading to more crashes and fatalities.
He said Zimbabwe’s road safety reforms are also aligned with global initiatives, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 74/299, which declared the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 with a target to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
“The inclusion of road safety targets in the Sustainable Development Goals reflects universal recognition that deaths and injuries from road crashes are now among the most serious threats to sustainable development,” he said.
Minister Mhona said road safety must be treated as an integrated policy issue, intersecting with climate change, public health, urban planning and transport management.
He said Zimbabwe’s road safety strategy is anchored on five pillars — road safety management, safer roads and mobility, road user behaviour, safer vehicles and a robust post-crash management system — noting that while progress has been made in most areas, the absence of a public post-crash management regime has remained a major gap.
“Countries such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia established public post-crash management systems years ago, and we have been lagging behind in this area,” he said.
“In that vein, we are now formulating a solid commitment towards establishing a robust post-crash management regime through the Road Accident Fund Bill.”
The proposed reforms build on measures announced in the 2024 National Budget, where Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube proposed that third-party motor vehicle insurance be administered by Government to ensure that accident victims receive timely medical care and compensation.
Third-party motor vehicle insurance is compulsory under the Road Traffic Act and is currently provided by private insurers, covering death, injury and property damage involving passengers and other road users.
The post Road accident Bill in progress appeared first on herald.
The post Road accident Bill in progress appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.