ON Wednesday last week, Zimbabwe was once again plunged into mourning. Ten lives were wiped out in a tragic head-on collision along the Harare–Nyamapanda Road — innocent souls crushed in a mangled Honda Fit that collided with a haulage truck near Suswe area.
According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), “the ZRP reports the death of ten people in a fatal road traffic accident at the 185 kilometre peg along Harare–Nyamapanda Road near Suswe Area on 17/12/25 between 1130 hours and 1200 hours.” The small vehicle, said to have been travelling from Mutoko to Kotwa, encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic. It was carrying 10 passengers — all of whom died instantly.
The same day, another three people perished and 15 others were injured when a Toyota Hiace kombi overturned along the Harare–Mutare Road near Ruwa. These are not isolated tragedies; they are part of a deadly and familiar pattern that has come to define our festive season. Every December, the country witnesses an increase in fatal road accidents, many involving overloaded or unroadworthy vehicles — most commonly, the notorious mishikashika — informal public transport vehicles that operate outside regulation, often with neither insurance nor proper inspection.
As news of this crash broke, social media platforms were ablaze with outrage and grief. Citizens voiced what has long been whispered in public and private spaces: a deep frustration with law enforcement’s apparent complicity in the carnage on our roads. One user remarked, “Vanoti bhadhara fine and continue. The police should be sued for this if they allow such vehicles to proceed after paying a fine only. Maroadblock mafundraiser ayo.” Another sharply pointed out, “Ironically, some of these vehicles are owned by police officers.” The conversation grew even more heated, with the same user arguing, “...the police should be sued for not enforcing the law. That’s serious negligence, endangering citizens for a person who swore an oath.”
These comments mirror a widespread sentiment among Zimbabweans — that the police, entrusted with the sacred duty of protecting life, now appear to be presiding over a system of negligence and profiteering. Roadblocks, once meant to enhance safety, are increasingly viewed as fund-raising opportunities. Vehicles that should never make it past inspection points are waved through after a fine is paid — or worse still, after an illicit “handshake”. In the words of another exasperated citizen, “The standard procedure should be to impound vehicles or order the removal of the overload on top to a fine. But they say vabereki mota yenyu yasungwa yakaoverloader, but don’t worry, driver akabhadhara [has paid] a fine, we will let you go. It’s repeated at every roadblock.”
This absurdity has reduced road safety enforcement to a transactional exercise. If, indeed, a mushikashika packed with 10 souls was allowed to pass multiple police checkpoints before its deadly end, then this is not merely a traffic accident — it is a national scandal. Heads must roll.
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But responsibility does not lie with the police alone. Road safety is a shared duty requiring the collective resolve of all stakeholders — the Transport and Infrastructural Development ministry, the Traffic Safety Council, the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe and ordinary citizens. The ministry must urgently revisit its oversight role, ensuring that ZRP operates with accountability and transparency. The rot of corruption that allows reckless drivers to buy their way through roadblocks must be torn out by the roots. Internal disciplinary mechanisms within the police must be activated and if necessary, external oversight bodies such as the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission should step in.
The Passengers Association of Zimbabwe must intensify its education campaigns, urging passengers to refuse boarding unsafe vehicles — no matter how short the distance or cheap the fare. Passengers, have agency. Accepting a ride on an overloaded or unlicensed vehicle is not just “desperation,” it is a gamble with death. Every Zimbabwean must understand that life is worth more than convenience.
Drivers of mishikashika must also be reminded that hustling for survival cannot come at the cost of human life. The economic hardships the nation faces are no excuse for recklessness. The constant cry of tiri kungoedza kurarama (we’re just trying to survive) cannot justify lawlessness that leaves families grieving every December. Proper vehicle maintenance, respecting passenger limits and adhering to traffic laws are nonnegotiable.
We can look to models from other African countries that have made progress in this area. In Rwanda, for example, strict enforcement and the use of road surveillance technology have drastically reduced road fatalities. In Kenya, digital traffic monitoring and automatic ticketing have curtailed police corruption on the roads. Zimbabwe can implement similar systems, such as electronic traffic fines, GPS-monitored checkpoints, and digital reporting to reduce human discretion and bribery.
Ultimately, the preservation of life must be our non-negotiable value. Every December, we cannot continue counting coffins and burying breadwinners, mothers and children because of preventable accidents. Police officers must remember the oath they took — to protect, not profit. The Transport ministry must act decisively, not merely issue condolences. And the public must demand accountability.
Last week, 10 families were shattered and their festive season turned into mourning. Tomorrow, it can be another 10 unless we put right what has been normalised: corruption on our highways, negligence on duty and a dangerous tolerance for mushikashika anarchy. We cannot continue to accept the spilling of blood on our roads as part of the December routine. We have the power, the mechanisms and the duty to stop it. What remains is the will.