FINANCE, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Mthuli Ncube may have intended to sound pragmatic when he urged motorists to “drive less” in response to rising fuel prices, but the remark lands very differently for ordinary Zimbabweans.
In fact, it exposes a troubling disconnect between policy thinking and lived reality.
Telling people to “drive less” assumes they have viable alternatives.
For most commuters in Harare and other urban centres, that simply isn’t the case.
Public transport remains unreliable, overcrowded and, at times, inaccessible.
Long queues at bus termini are not an occasional inconvenience —they are a daily reality.
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Workers routinely spend hours waiting for transport, often arriving late or exhausted before their day even begins.
Against that backdrop, the minister’s comments risk sounding dismissive.
They shift the burden of a systemic problem to individuals who have limited choices.
It is not a matter of preference for many motorists, but necessity.
People drive because they cannot depend on the current public transport system to get to work, school or essential services on time.
There is also a deeper issue at play: equity.
Policies and statements from leadership should reflect an understanding of how ordinary citizens experience the economy.
When those in positions of power appear insulated — travelling in well-maintained vehicles, shielded from potholes, fuel queues and long commutes — it becomes harder for their advice to resonate.
Whether fair or not, that perception matters.
To be clear, managing fuel price pressures is not simple.
Global oil markets, exchange rate challenges and fiscal constraints all limit how much room government has to intervene.
But acknowledging constraints should not come at the expense of empathy or practicality.
Advising people to use public transport without first fixing that system is, at best, premature and, at worst, tone-deaf.
If government genuinely wants citizens to rely less on private vehicles, then the solution lies in making public transport a credible alternative.
That means investing in reliable, frequent and affordable services.
It means ensuring buses are available when and where people need them, and that fares are within reach.
It also means addressing the underlying cost drivers — particularly fuel prices — that affect the entire transport ecosystem.
There is a policy contradiction here as well.
On the one hand, government has moved to suspend duty on imported buses to improve public transport capacity.
On the other, it is asking citizens to immediately shift behaviour in a system that is still struggling to meet demand.
Without synchronising these efforts, the burden once again falls on commuters.
Ultimately, leadership is not just about making tough economic calls; it is also about communicating them in a way that reflects the realities people face.
Zimbabweans are already adjusting — cutting trips, carpooling and stretching limited incomes to cope with rising costs.
Suggesting they simply “drive less” overlooks the fact that many have little left to cut.
Until public transport becomes efficient, accessible and affordable, such advice will continue to ring hollow.
Real solutions require more than words — they demand visible, practical improvements that people can experience in their daily lives.