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Herald Reporters
Police have warned that they will not tolerate unlicensed drivers following the increase in accidents. Officer Commanding National Traffic Senior Assistant Commissioner Felistas Mjanga said in an interview on Sunday that cases of unlicenced drivers are on the increase as people buy vehicles and drive.

“We have increased our deployment on our roads throughout the country to look out for criminals who drive without licences and we want to ensure that the country has a safe Easter holiday,” said Snr Asst Comm Mjanga.

She said the police were going to work with the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) to identify the offenders.

“No tickets shall be issued to those found on the wrong side of the law and we will refer the perpetrators to court directly as a deterrent measure,” Snr Asst Comm Mjanga said.

Snr Asst Comm Mjanga said they were going to impound all vehicles belonging to unlicensed drivers.

“We are also going to check all unroadworthy and unregistered vehicles on the roads and impound them as well,” she said.

Snr Asst Comm Mjanga said they will also not tolerate overloading of either private or public vehicles during the long holiday and insisted that police would impound the vehicles and issue tickets to the offenders.

She said the police will increase patrols to look out for robbers who are targeting motorists, especially during the night.

Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe managing director Mr Obio Chinyere said roadblocks by the police were meant to save lives. He appealed to road users to follow regulations to reduce road accidents.

Mr Chinyere urged people not to drink and drive and abstain from driving during the night.

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development has called for stiffer penalties on errant motorists who violate traffic regulations and cause accidents.

A motion moved by chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee Cde Dexter Nduna said 85 percent of road accidents were a result of human error.

“Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, use of cellphones while driving, deliberately driving through red robots, overtaking and turning errors are some of the major causes of the numerous casualties on our roads,” he said.

Cde Nduna said drivers who were caught on the wrong side of the law were either fined $20 on the spot or paid as low as $2 as bribe to the law enforcement agents and proceeded with their journey.

“Mr Speaker Sir, does $2 or even $20 equate to the value we place on human lives?” he said. “In South Africa, a speeding ticket alone attracts a fine ranging from R200 up to R1 400.

“What is stopping us honourable members from pushing vociferously and with one voice for deterrent sentences and heavy fines for those found violating road traffic regulations?” Cde Nduna said.

He said their legislative role as espoused in Section 117 of the Constitution confers on them the power “to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of Zimbabwe”.

Cde Nduna said there was need for those caught driving without a licence, reckless driving and driving without due care to face the full wrath of the law, with an imposition of a prison sentence of not less than six months or a fine amounting not less than $1 000.

“We must rise and rise immediately, in pursuit of punitive and deterrent legislative measures so that the souls of the late Makomborero and Nqobile Nduna who passed away on August 26 2012 because of some reckless and drunk driver who drove his vehicle without due care, can find rest knowing that their death was not in vain,” he said.

“We must speak collectively, so that the soul of the late Lance Corporal Vimbai Primrose Nyagande, who died on the spot in Dzivarasekwa Extension on May 26 2014, because some irresponsible commuter omnibus driver negligently decided to overtake from the wrong side and ran over her, will find rest knowing that the miscreant will be heavily punished.”

Cde Nduna’s children Makomborero and Nqobile died in a road accident in 2012.

He said official statistics by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe show that from 2003 t0 2013, there have been 19 000 accident related deaths.

He said one of the most apparent causes of accidents in the country was the poor and dilapidated state of the roads.

Cde Nduna said the country had witnessed unprecedented increase of cars in the past decade owing to the affordability and accessibility of vehicles from foreign markets.