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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
At least 31 people have died in separate road accidents countrywide since the beginning of the festive season, with the same number of deaths recorded during the same period last year, police have said. Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi yesterday said that 31 deaths had been recorded since December 15. He said there was an increase in the number of accidents recorded this year compared to last year.

“From December 15 to December 22 this year, the number of road accidents recorded as at 9am this morning (yesterday) is 515 compared to 470 in 2013.

“The death toll is 31 compared to 31 in 2013 while the injured are 262 compared to 138 in 2013.

“Death toll per province is Harare, three; Bulawayo, two; Midlands, two; Masvingo, 10; Mashonaland Central, one; Mashonaland East, four; Mashonaland West, nil; Matabeleland North, one; Matabeleland South, seven; and Manicaland, one,” he said.

Chief Supt Nyathi said the latest accident in Harare was recorded yesterday around 9am when 10 people were injured when municipal police officers threw spikes in front of a vehicle along Robert Mugabe Road.

He said the kombi driver was running away from the municipal police.

“We can confirm that 10 people were injured this morning when a vehicle they were travelling in was running away from the municipal police and later overturned when they threw spikes (in its way),” he said.

He cited speeding, overtaking errors and misjudgment on the part of drivers and failure to give way especially when approaching intersections, as the major causes of the accidents.

Police has also impounded 1 239 vehicles for various defects while 52 150 tickets were issued for various traffic offences, Chief Supt Nyathi said.

In a statement over the weekend, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Dr Obert Mpofu urged motorists to exercise caution during the Christmas holidays.

“I want to advise would-be offenders that the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department will be on the lookout for defective vehicles throughout the holiday period.

“I thus urge operators of public service vehicles to provide a safe and timeous service which should see everybody transported to their destination safely,” he said.