The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has deregistered five driving schools this year for various infractions, including safety violations, poor vehicle maintenance, and failure to adhere to safety protocols during lessons.
Lucy Kuwandira-Mapfumo, the TSCZ’s media and corporate communications officer, told The Sunday Mail that the deregistered schools were located in Harare, Mutare, and Masvingo. She said:
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In Zimbabwe, we have 700 registered driving schools, with Harare having the highest number at 170.
So far, we have deregistered five driving schools, not only from Harare but also from Mutare and Masvingo.
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Kuwandira-Mapfumo said that one of the key functions of the TSCZ is to register, regulate, and monitor driving schools to ensure they comply with legal standards. She added:
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To achieve this, we conduct regular inspections and blitz operations to check for compliance.
</blockquote>
Kuwandira-Mapfumo explained that ongoing inspections are designed to identify and penalise non-compliant driving schools, ensuring that learner drivers receive proper training.
She said schools failing to meet the required standards risk deregistration, and their learners will be disqualified from taking the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) test.
This approach, she said, aims to promote road safety and ensure that safety practices are upheld at the grassroots level.
Some driving schools have been accused of accepting bribes to guarantee driver’s licenses, a practice that has contributed to the increase in road accidents. Said Kuwandira-Mapfumo:
<blockquote>
Driving schools must renew their licences regularly and maintain the highest safety standards.
Those who fail to comply, whether due to negligence or financial difficulties, face serious consequences.
</blockquote>
She also reiterated that non-compliant schools would be barred from having their learners tested at the VID, as the council will inform the department of their status.
However, Kuwandira-Mapfumo did not disclose the names of the five driving schools that had been deregistered.
More: <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/five-driving-schools-deregistered-as-govt-cracks-the-whip">The Sunday Mail</a>

Pindula News

The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe has shut down five driving schools for not following safety rules. The schools were in Harare, Mutare, and Masvingo. The council inspects schools to make sure they are safe and following laws. If schools don't meet standards, they can't give driving tests. Some schools accept bribes for licenses, which leads to more accidents. The council wants to make sure all schools are safe and follow rules. The names of the closed schools were not shared. This is to make sure learner drivers are safe on the roads.

Five Driving Schools Deregistered For Breaching Safety Standards

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) have launched an operation to “stop and search” vehicles on major highways during the festive season.
Speaking at the festive season road safety awareness campaign launch in Harare, ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they want to minimise road traffic accidents. <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200020958/police-vid-tscz-launch-traffic-blitz">NewsDay</a> quoted Nyathi as saying:
<blockquote>
I want to reiterate, that we will take action. It is not about just driving. It is being safety conscious and responsible on the country’s roads.
We need our drivers to change their attitudes and realise that they play a key role in terms of the safety of Zimbabweans and visitors during the festive period.
</blockquote>
Transport and Infrastructural Development Deputy Minister Joshua Sacco urged the VID to enforce “all aspects of vehicle fitness, with particular emphasis on public transport”. Added Sacco:
<blockquote>
Law enforcers must do their work without fear or favour, and I expect that the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) will provide adequate resources to create a conducive environment for the festive season road safety awareness campaign.
It is for this reason that, within the context of the whole government approach the key players in road safety including, but not limited to the TSCZ, ZRP and VID, among others, will effective this weekend, deploy throughout the country and roll out a festive season road safety education and awareness campaign across all 10 provinces of the country.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe usually records an increase in road accidents during the festive period due to an increase in travel and traffic coupled with poorly maintained roads and rainy weather which reduces visibility.
Moreover, the celebration and merriment associated with Christmas may lead to irresponsible driving behaviours, such as speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Law enforcement agents have been accused of taking bribes from drivers of overloaded or unroadworthy vehicles resulting in accidents.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Police, VID And Traffic Safety Council Launch Traffic Blitz

A road accident occurs in Zimbabwe every 15 minutes, the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has said.
Most of the accidents are attributed to reckless driving, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws and use of defective vehicles, among other factors.
TSCZ said 14 600 people died and 74 000 were injured in road accidents between 2015 and 2022.
In the first nine months of this year, over 1 500 people were killed, and more than 7 200 injured from more than 38 400 accidents countrywide.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/zim-records-road-accident-every-15-minutes">The Sunday Mail</a>, TSCZ managing director, Munesu Munodawafa, said that most road accidents are recorded during major public holidays. Said Munodawafa:
<blockquote>
It is disturbing that, as of September 30 this year, we had recorded 38 482 road accidents, a total of 1 545 deaths and 7 294 injuries on our roads.
These numbers are worrisome. Putting that into context, we have a road accident every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe and about five people die while 38 are injured in road accidents every day.
The highest number of accidents are recorded during major public holidays and days around major public holidays.
Most of the accidents, particularly those involving light motor vehicles, tend to happen during the early hours of Saturday, around midnight or just before sunrise on Sunday.
</blockquote>
He said there is a need to change TSCZ to a Traffic Safety Agency and give it authority to enforce arrests of those who violate traffic rules. Said Munodawafa:
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The board insists on changing the Traffic Safety Council (of Zimbabwe) to a Traffic Safety Agency — the agency that will be able to enforce arrests of those who infringe road regulations, just like how the Environmental Management Agency operates.
There is also a need to put speed limits on buses because the problem with these vehicles is that they sometimes travel at speeds that are as high as 140 kilometres per hour, and most of them will be transporting more than 60 passengers.
We are working with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the media and various stakeholders to raise awareness.
</blockquote>
Munodawafa said the Government also needs to operationalise the Road Accident Fund.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe Records Road Accident Every 15 Minutes - Traffic Safety Council

Harare East Member of Parliament, Tendai Biti (CCC), has urged the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona to revise the highway code.
Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Biti said the enactment of strict driving rules will reduce road carnage. He said:
<blockquote>
We want the Minister to ensure that there is a revolution, a revising of the Highway Code so that we have a strict regime of driving, driver qualifications, retesting, and a points system.
A lot of these road traffic accidents are happening due to negligence. Unlicensed drivers, drunken drivers, speeding drivers, tired and exhausted drivers, and unfit vehicles are on the streets.
Road accidents are now so numerous in our country that they have now become the third highest killer of persons in our country after non-communicable diseases, Tuberculosis, and then road traffic accidents.
</blockquote>
Biti was speaking following a fatal road traffic accident in Nyanga on 14 October that claimed the lives of six Tynwald High School pupils.
According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and eyewitnesses, the driver of the bus was speeding and failed to negotiate a curve, causing the bus to overturn and land on its roof. | <a href="https://openparly.com/4-reasons-why-biti-wants-highway-code-revised/">Open Parly</a>

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