Masvingo residents will have a chance to participate in the Road Accident Fund Bill today as they will be giving their in put during these consultations on the proposed legislation today at the Junior High School Hall in Rhodene.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe coordinated process which started last year saw the consultations taking place in Bulawayo, Gwanda ,Gweru and Chinhoyi in September is now targeting the remaining provinces this time.
The Bill is designed to offer timely medical aid, cover funeral expenses and provide compensation to those injured and the families of those killed in road accidents.
To date, the draft Bill is in place and consultations have been conducted in four provinces and consultations will be finalised in January of 2026 in the remaining six provinces.
On Thursday stakeholders gathered at HopeFay hotel in Marondera in Mashonaland East and yesterday the consultations were held in Mutare.
While officially opening the consultations the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Hon Felix Tapiwa Mhona while represented by Permanent Secretary Engineer Joy Pedzisai Makumbe encouraged participants to take interest in the Bill and freely put in their views also highlighting that the fund will assist victims of road accidents without proof of liability.
“The Road Accident Fund mechanism will spread the social safety net to take care of every citizen involved in road traffic accidents, including vulnerable road users. The non-fault-based Road Accident Fund will not be based on proof of liability where the injured parties must prove that the other party was at fault for causing the accident. This typically involves gathering evidence, such as police reports, witness statements, and expert testimony, to demonstrate negligence or misconduct. The Fund is a game changer as it will cut delays in cclaims processing.” said Minister Mhona
The Minister also noted the gaps that the fund will seek to plug in terms of time to help victims
” It is common cause that currently, the injured often experience significant delays in receiving their third-party motor vehicle insurance settlements, which can cause financial hardship, especially when they need funds for medical expenses or when they lost income. The current state of affairs is complex and we wish to remove that complexity by introducing the Road Accident Fund.
“The claims process is intricate and challenging to navigate without legal expertise, leading to frustration for many claimants. It is our duty to assist each other today and ensure that the claim process is simple and is not burdened by legal intricacies” said Hon Mhona.
While presenting her views on the Bill in Marondera Madam Chiwanza a person living with disabilities said the fund would indeed help victims of road crashes and takes away the medical costs burden from families.
Chief Saurombe in Mutare yesterday hailed the Second Republic led by His Excellency Cde Dr ED Mnangagwa for coming up with the intervention.
In Mutare, and just like all the provinces that the consultations have been carried out so far stakeholders have suggested a widening of sources for the fund with some suggesting a levy on fuel so that the revenue base is deep enough to sustain the fund.
From Masvingo the process will go to Bindura on Monday, Victoria Falls on Wednesday before wrapping up in Harare .
The government while continuing it’s fight against road carnage in Zimbabwe is keen to help victims and families of such by taking the burden away from them and thus indeed will ensure that the process for enacting the bill will be executed with expedition.
Story by Lovemore Masunungure
