POLICE said they have recorded a 9% increase in road traffic accidents this year with most of them attributed to human error.
Report by Feluna Nleya
Officer commanding traffic Assistant Commissioner Kenny Mthombeni told NewsDay at the weekend that they had recorded 28 929 accidents between January and October this year, against 26 500 accidents recorded over the same period last year.
“Most of these accidents occurred as a result of excessive speeding, following behind too close, failure to give way and overtaking errors,” said Mthombeni.
He said during the Christmas holidays last year, they recorded 1 785 accidents with 147 fatalities and 1 304 injuries.
“The Christmas and New Year holiday period is historically associated with disregard of road rules and laws which subsequently lead to accidents and loss of life and damage to property. I, therefore, urge the motoring public and commuters to abide by the rules of the road before, during and after the festive season,” said Mthombeni.
Meanwhile, police’s anti-stock theft unit said it had closed 900 illegal butcheries, 632 food outlets and eight abattoirs countrywide as part of its clampdown on stocktheft.
“During the period January to October 2012, the national anti-stock theft unit conducted operations such as Nyama Yabvepi? and operation Eradicate Cattle Rustlers. The operations were aimed at reducing or eradicating illegal activities in the meat and livestock industries,” said police anti-stock theft national coordinator Assistant Commissioner Bernard Dumbura.
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He also said 1 153 people were arrested for stocktheft, while 14 873 were arrested for stock theft- related offences.
“The number of cases reported in 2012 decreased to 4 144 from 4 978 in 2011, translating to a 17% decrease. The number of cattle stolen between January and October also decreased from 10 662 in 2011 to 9 264 in 2012, translating to a 13 % decrease,” said Dumbura.
