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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
SEVENTY-SEVEN people died while 307 were injured from 1 295 road traffic accidents recorded in the first two weeks of the festive season.

Police said this was an increase of 10 deaths, as 66 people were killed in road traffic accidents between December 15 and December 27 last year.

Last year 441 people were injured from 1 216 accidents in the same period.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said of the 1 295 recorded accidents so far this festive season, 64 of them were fatal.

Asst Comm Nyathi said 13 people died from road accidents on Christmas Day.

“On Unity Day, 22nd December 2021, 120 road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide of which three were fatal while 16 people were injured compared to 112 road traffic accidents with five deaths, while 67 people were injured in the year 2020,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“On Christmas Day, 25th December 2021, 91 road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide of which 10 were fatal, killing 13 people, injuring 59 compared to 130 road traffic accidents recorded during the same period in 2020 of which three were fatal, with five deaths and 44 people being injured.”

He said on Boxing Day, 59 road traffic accidents were recorded claiming 12 lives while 25 others were injured.

Asst Comm Nyathi said in the same period last year 61 road traffic accidents were recorded killing five people and injuring 45 others.

He said yesterday 60 more road accidents were recorded killing one person and injuring 12.

Asst Comm Nyathi said this was a sharp decline compared to the 17 people who were killed in the previous year from 58 road accidents, which injured 43 people.

He said most recorded road accidents were as a result of misjudgments on the roads and he called on motorists to exercise extreme caution when driving.

“Most of the road traffic accidents occurred on highways as a result of speeding, lack of attention, misjudgment, following too close and recklessness on the part of drivers. The Zimbabwe Republic Police urges drivers to be cautious and promote road safety this holiday. We remind drivers that road safety is a collective responsibility which needs the co-operation of all motorists,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

Since the start of the festive season, police and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe have increased deployment of officers in a bid to educate motorists on road carnage.

On Sunday, President Mnangagwa pledged to honour a truck driver Mr Sirizani Butau for heroically saving lives at an accident scene in Mutare involving a fuel tanker and a bus where five lives were lost, while 60 others were injured.

Truck driver Mr Butau was among the first to respond to the fatal accident which occurred 20km outside Mutare when a Beta Bus Company’s Yutong collided with a Freightliner fuel tanker, which was travelling in the opposite direction, with one passenger on board.

President Mnangagwa said the nation needs to celebrate individuals like Mr Butau for his self-sacrifice.

“In particular, I was struck by the outstanding bravery of one of our citizens, Mr Butau, who defied personal safety to help with the rescue effort, in the process sustaining several burns and injuries. Without him and many others who rose to the occasion, many more lives could have been hurt or even lost,” he said.

“Our Nation honours such great deeds which should never go unnoticed and uncelebrated. Indeed, these deeds cultivate and impart great compassion to our Nation, thus confirming our humanity as a people.” — @nqotshili