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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
AS the old adage goes, “Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point”, and faced with what seems like a mammoth task to fence about 18 460km of the national highway – the government through the National Traffic Safety Council (NTSC) – has started to erect a 162km long fence along the Bulawayo-Gweru highway.

The NTSC says the fencing of the national highways is aimed at expanding its efforts to reduce the number of accidents caused by stray animals along the country’s highways.

Vehicle-animal collisions are a common cause of accidents and deaths in Zimbabwe and have in the past claimed the lives of, among other people, national hero Retired Air Commodore Mike Karakadzai who was also the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) general manager and more recently Apostle Charles Chiriseri of His Presence International Ministries.

Rtd Air Comm Karakadzai’s vehicle hit a stray cow at Shangani and after hitting the animal, his car swerved into the right lane and was crushed by an oncoming haulage truck while Apostle Chiriseri lost control of his vehicle after swerving off the road to avoid hitting two animals.

Apostle Chiriseri’s wife Pastor Petunia Chiriseri, who is a member of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, was admitted to Bulawayo’s Mater Dei Hospital for about a month after sustaining multiple injuries following the fatal accident.

In this light, the NTSC poured in about $400 000 which will see the fencing of the Bulawayo- Gweru highway on both sides.

This is however, a pilot project before the Council rolls out a national programme to fence the over 18 460 km of the national highway.

The national highway was fenced before vandalism reared its ugly head which saw people cutting down the fence for their gardens, homes and make wire snares used to poach wild animals.

Driving on the country’s highways has become a nightmare as a result, with stray animals frequently causing traffic accidents.

The country once boasted of having one of the best road networks in Southern Africa which was a yardstick for road management with major highways fenced as a way of reducing the number of accidents between vehicles and stray animals.

Launching the programme in Gweru recently, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Mr Munesu Munodawafa, said government had appealed to local leadership and law enforcement agencies to help ensure the new perimeter fence is protected from vandalism.

Mr Munodawafa said once the fence is erected, the community should assume ownership of it.

He said their domestic animals – which are their wealth – will also be protected.

“A fence used to be there but it was vandalised and as government, we’re re-doubling our efforts to save the loss of life and we’ve given the responsibility to the local leadership which includes district administrators, councillors, chiefs, and all the members of the communities that they look after the new fence”.

He said from now hence forth, fencing of the road will be part and parcel of any road rehabilitation or road construction programme.

“Road fencing and road construction or rehabilitation can’t be divorced. They should go hand in hand from now on as we go forward,” said Mr Munodawafa.

TSCZ managing director Mr Obio Chinyere said this was one of the strategies being spearheaded by the parastatal to reduce carnage on the roads.

He said the $400 000 had funded the acquisition of a fence, poles and payment of employees working on the project.

“Our mandate as a parastatal under the Ministry of Transport is to conscientise all road users on safety usage of the road and to do everything possible to achieve that goal. We fall under the Zim-Asset component of infrastructure development, hence this part of the infrastructural development exercise,” said Mr Chinyere.

He urged motorists to be disciplined, not to drink and drive, to stick to all road rules and regulations and where possible travel during the day as the festive season approaches.

Motorists hailed the move by NTSC saying it would go a long way in curbing accidents caused by stray animals.

Mr Tinashe Manzungu, a contractor, said the government through NTSC should be commended for starting the project which would go a long way in protecting humans, their vehicles and stray animals especially domestic animals.

He said domestic animals were a source of income for villagers and should also be protected by fencing them away from the highways.

“Human life is precious so are the vehicles damaged, some beyond repair, when they collide with stray animals. At the same time, the animals are valued by the villagers. So this development will result in a win-win situation between road users and villagers,” said Mr Manzungu.

Ward 15 Councillor Sibongile Matavire said: “Long back, roads were fenced such that both people and livestock would use designated crossing zones. Villagers are losing their animals as well as their lives after being hit by vehicles. We recently buried a pupil who was hit by a car near the toll gate as he attempted to cross the road.

“But we’re happy with this project; it will result in the protection of human life, vehicles and animals.”

A haulage truck driver, Mr Owen Ncube, said driving at night was very difficult as they would run into cattle lying on tarred roads, drawn by the warmth of the surface.

He said beasts with darker hues are harder for motorists to spot from a distance, resulting in accidents.

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 percent of the recorded road accidents in 2014 were caused by stray animals. — @pchitumba1.