HIBAPRESS issued a scathing assessment of the traffic accidents that occurred during the Christmas season in Zimbabwe, considering that the death of about one hundred people within 12 days constitutes a tragedy "that could have been avoided" and holding the government responsible for failing to take the necessary measures.
Local press reported today, Friday, quoting a statement from the committee, that the "dramatic increase" in traffic accidents recorded by the police between December 15 and 26 was due to "systematic neglect in organizing the transportation sector and the deterioration of infrastructure". It revealed that the total number of traffic accidents had doubled, increasing from 1211 in 2024 to 2412 in the same period of 2025, describing the situation as a "national state of emergency." It stated that one hundred people, including 44 passengers and 37 pedestrians, died, while 471 others were injured during this period, considering that "behind these numbers are bereaved families, permanent disabilities, and the loss of human lives that could have been avoided." It condemned what it described as an unstructured and unregulated transport sector, stressing that the collapse of a reliable public transport system had led to road congestion with dangerous vehicles. It went on to say that "the absence of reliable and affordable structured public transport has led to the spread of dilapidated vehicles, such as buses and private small cars that are in poor condition," adding that "the overcrowding makes these cars mass death traps." Zimbabwe records an average of one traffic accident every 15 minutes and about five deaths per day on its roads, making it one of the highest road death rates in Africa.
