WHEN adults interact with children in different spaces, it is worth remembering that their interactions are based on a duty to act based on a special relationship.
This duty of care is based on a special relationship because of children’s ages, limited experiences and vulnerabilities. These variables put together, demand for adults to protect and safeguard children from injurious situations.
This opinion piece has been motivated by what happened in Senga, Gweru on June 10, 2026, where a commuter omnibus carrying 24 primary school pupils from Matongo and Stanley primary schools went up in flames due to a 10- litre jerry can of petrol placed close to the battery compartment. The fuel ignited while the vehicle was in motion, causing an explosion and fire. Seven children died in the inferno.
Sad. Zimbabwe buried seven children last week. Seven. Not statistics. Not headlines we scroll past. Seven futures ended in flames just like that. The 64-million-dollar questions at the back of our minds should be - who has a duty of care towards children? and what are the obligations and duties of those with the duty of care towards children? In response to the above questions, State and non -actors have a duty of care towards children and this duty of care is based on a special relationship, statute and contract.
Arguably, we cannot accept flimsy excuses such as “accidents do happen” when it comes to our children. Strict liability. Accidents happen where systems fail. And our school transport system is failing. So, we write this opinion piece not just to mourn but to demand eight changes that must happen now in every school that has an arrangement of ferrying learners:
*Put a safeguarding officer on every school bus /combi
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We have teachers to monitor learning. We need officers to monitor safety. Their job: count heads, stop overloading, check speed and speak up when drivers take risks. One responsible adult focused only on the children could have forced that kombi to comply with proper safety measures. Capacity and speed kill more children than fire does. A safeguarding officer can either be a social worker, community psychologist or any person who has a background in child protection and safeguarding. Safeguarding is spending to save; hence this recommendation should not be viewed as a drain on the school’s budget. As a matter of national policy, every school should have safeguarding officers commensurate with its size to cut down on incidents occasioned by negligence by either omission or commission.
*Make child protection training compulsory for all drivers and conductors
A driver transporting 30 children is not just driving, he or she is acting in loco parentis. He or she has a duty of care based on a contract, statute and special relationship. He or she needs basic training on how children panic and on how to evacuate them calmly. Transport operators must partner with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare in conjunction with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to certify this training. The training menu may involve defence driving, vehicle safety checks, emergency response, child protection awareness, passenger management, communication skills, legal compliance, hazardous materials awareness, stress and fatigue management, ethics and accountability. These aspects ensure drivers and conductors are not just technically competent, but also child-sensitive, compliant and ethically responsible.
Fire safety gear, checked monthly
Every school vehicle must carry a working extinguisher, smoke alarm and emergency hammer. The VID and school boards should log monthly checks. In a fire, 20 seconds is the difference between escape and tragedy. The Zimbabwe Republic Police should also be the wheel in the machine here, as they should compel all transporters of school children to produce the requisite safeguards for the transportation of school children.
*End overloading -seats only, no exceptions
Standing passengers cannot apply to children. The law must cap capacity at the number of seats, with heavy fines and licence suspensions for violations. If a safeguarding officer was on board, overloading would end tomorrow. The presence of a safeguarding officer discourages negligence, since drivers and conductors would fear penalties and dismissal.
*Speed governors +GPS tracking
Most kombi fires start from mechanical stress caused by speeding. Make speed governors compulsory on all school transport. Heads of schools and parents should have access to GPS data. Speeding routes should trigger instant warnings.
*Train children on safety measures
Children freeze. Smoke confuses them. Schools and operators must run termly evacuation drills. Every child should know two exits blindfolded. We practice fire drills in classrooms-we must practice them in vehicles too.
*Tougher roadworthiness for school routes
A combi carrying children should face stricter VID inspections than a commuter taxi. No bald tyres. No illegal wiring. No jerry cans of fuel inside, If it’s not safe enough for the minister’s child, its not safe enough for ours.
Publish investigation results within 30 days.
After every incident, parents deserve answers. What failed: the driver, the vehicle, the inspector, the ZRP? Public reports force accountability. Silence breeds repeated tragedies.
Seven desks sit empty today. Seven families will never be whole again. But the thousands of children who still board kombis tomorrow can come home safely if we act. Government, operators, schools, parents: this is our shared duty. Let these seven children be the last we lose to a preventable fire. Let their names be the reason every other child gets home.
*Dr Nicholas Aribino is Zimcare Trust country director, a law student, part-time lecturer in inclusive education, child safeguarding and the law, gender studies, and special needs education. Sheperd Chuma is a former lecturer at College of Education, and now part-time university lecturer.