The Sunday News
THE noble initiative by Government to fence the 162km highway between Gweru and Bulawayo in a bid to reduce road accidents caused by stray livestock will come to naught if communities along the highway do not look after the fence.
A lot of money, $400 000, has been pumped into the project by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe to try and keep animals away from the road and reduce carnage on our roads. However, there are fears the fence could be vandalised by the same villagers who, in fact, should be happy that their animals would now be safe from invading roads and getting killed in case accidents do happen.
It should therefore be the duty of communities to make sure that the fence is not stolen.
Each and every villager should make it his or her duty to report anyone tempering with the fence because apart from saving lives that might be lost due to road accidents, they will also be looking after their own livestock.
Addressing delegates at the launch of the project in Gweru and Bulawayo last week, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Mr Munesu Munodawafa said; “We are launching the pilot fencing project which stretches from Gweru to Bulawayo at a distance of almost 160km. Many lives have been lost on this road because of stray animals.
This is part of our labour-based road maintenance and rehabilitation programme and it is now Government policy that all new road projects along major highways will be accompanied by fencing.”
Hundreds of people have died countrywide over the years in accidents caused by stray animals on major highways and prominent individuals who died recently after hitting stray animals on the highway are national hero Retired Air Commodore Mike Karakadzai who was also the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) general manager and Apostle Charles Chiriseri.
Former Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Obert Mpofu is on record bemoaning vandalism of other road infrastructure which he said put road users at risk.
“I note with great concern that road furniture such as studs on the carriageway, which are meant for the safety of the motorist, are being removed and that delineators from culverts along some completed sections have been vandalised. Further, road fencing continues to be vandalised. This has resulted in stray cattle and donkeys being hit by vehicles leading to loss of human life and property. I urge Zimbabweans from all walks of life to safeguard our road infrastructure, not only for us but for future generations to come,” he said.
Zimbabwe has a total road network of 88 000km which is made up of 18 460km of State highways, 8 194 km of urban roads, which fall under the jurisdiction of urban councils and rural roads which make up 61 000km of the total road network.
According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police National Traffic 2014 report, 41 016 road accidents were recorded between January and December 2014. At least 6,6% of the recorded road accidents in 2014 were caused by stray animals.
Coach and Bus Operators Association (CBOA) chief executive officer Alex Kautsiro is on record as saying the absence of road fencing led to loss of lives as coaches and buses were exposed to accidents due to stray animals.
“Perimeter fences need to be re-erected on all major highways to improve the driving experience. As CBOA, we have engaged the Government with the hope that going forward, as part of highway reconstruction for the country, fencing becomes a mandatory process in the design of these,” he said.
