A yet-to-be-identified Tshova Mubaiwa kombi driver is on the run after his vehicle rammed into the Mpopoma High School precast wall and a fowl run shortly before 8 AM on Thursday.
The kombi, which plies the City-Cowdray Park route, was coming from the city centre with four passengers on board.
A security guard at the school, Patrick Mahachi, told the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/bulawayo-police-hunt-for-tshova-mubaiwa-kombi-driver-who-fled-after-crashing-into-mpopoma-high-school-wall/">Chronicle</a> that the incident unfolded before his eyes. He said:
<blockquote>
I saw the Kombi flying towards the precast wall and I rushed to the scene and found that one of the four passengers had sustained a broken leg. What surprised me was the speed at which the driver vanished into thin air.
</blockquote>
The spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Bulawayo Province, Inspector Abednico Ncube said they were investigating the circumstances that led to the driver fleeing the scene. He said:
<blockquote>
We are investigating circumstances leading to an accident involving a Tshova Mubaiwa Kombi today (Thursday).
Our officers are keen to interview the driver of the Kombi who disappeared from the scene of the accident.
He will face negligent driving charges and we appeal to members of the public who may know of his whereabouts to contact any nearest police station.
</blockquote>
Bulawayo chief fire officer Nhlanganiso Moyo said the fire brigade attended the scene and remained on standby until the Kombi was towed away from the site. Said Moyo:
<blockquote>
We attended to a road traffic accident early this morning at 7.40 am where a driver of a commuter omnibus heading towards Luveve lost control, veered off the road and hit a precast wall and a chicken run inside Mpopoma High School.
Five persons were injured and taken to the hospital. Our crew removed the vehicle out of the school taking into account that it could burst into flames.
</blockquote>
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona recently told Parliament that the Government was proposing to increase the minimum age from 25 years to 30 years to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities, largely attributed to reckless driving.
In 2023, the government promulgated Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023 which requires public service vehicles, including buses, are required to be fitted with speed-limiting devices to ensure their speeds do not exceed 100 km/h.
This measure was introduced in response to an increase in bus accidents attributed to speeding.
These speed limiters are installed permanently and can work for a lifetime if drivers do not tamper with them.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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Tshova Mubaiwa Kombi Driver Flees After Crashing Vehicle Into School Precast Wall

The government plans to raise the minimum age for kombi and bus drivers from the current 25 years to 30 years to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities, largely attributed to reckless driving.
Speaking during the Question and Answer session in the Senate last Thursday, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Felix Mhona said that raising the minimum age for all public service drivers will ensure that only mature and experienced drivers will drive kombis and buses. Said Mhona (via <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/new-age-limit-for-kombi-bus-drivers/">The Herald</a>):
<blockquote>
I am sure the legal department in my Ministry is working with the Attorney General in that regard and we are saying for public vehicles, we were sticking to 25 years and we are now advocating to increase.
Within the SADC region, the minimum age is 30 years for public service vehicles and that will then address the overzealousness of some of these drivers that are driving our public service vehicles.
We are losing close to 2,000 per annum in terms of fatalities, which is not sustainable and when it comes to the monetary element, we are losing close to US$406 million per year towards fatalities, injuries, hospitalisations and even causing unnecessary burden to beneficiaries.
</blockquote>
Commenting on the proposal to raise the minimum age limit for public service drivers, Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators (GHACO) chairman, Ngoni Katsvairo, said:
<blockquote>
Experience and maturity come with age, which is why the constitution stipulates that one must be 40 years or older to be considered for Presidential election candidacy.
</blockquote>
However, Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors (ZUDCO) president, Fradreck Maguramhinga said the country does not have a lot of drivers that are over the age of 25. He said:
<blockquote>
While we understand the need for more mature drivers, we have very mature drivers between 25 and 30 years old
The majority of drivers who are being reckless are below 25 and we propose maintaining the 25-year age limit for small public service vehicles like commuter omnibuses, as drivers tend to prefer heavy-duty trucks and buses once they reach 30.
</blockquote>
In 2023, the government promulgated Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023 which requires public service vehicles, including buses, are required to be fitted with speed-limiting devices to ensure their speeds do not exceed 100 km/h.
This measure was introduced in response to an increase in bus accidents attributed to speeding.
These speed limiters are installed permanently and can work for a lifetime if drivers do not tamper with them.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Government Mulls Raising Minimum Age For Kombi, Bus Drivers To 30 Years

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development says it will soon launch a new National Driving Licence System which will among other things, change the present five numerical Classes to the new thirteen alphanumerical categories.
Addressing journalists in Harare Wednesday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Felix Mhona said 13 categories of the new driving licence will conform to the requirements of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic; International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission. He added:
<blockquote>
The 13 categories of the new Driving licence will, amongst others, make provision for the combination categories of a vehicle and trailer.
The new categories will also accommodate the different sizes of vehicles and prevent the current scenario where drivers are tested on a small vehicle and then be authorised to drive a very large vehicle which the driver may not be able to control in a safe manner.
</blockquote>
The transitional arrangement from the Present Numerical Classes to the New Alphanumerical Categories is as follows:
Class 1 will be known as “DE” – Articulated passenger vehicle for the carriage of persons having more than 16 seats, and may be combined with a trailer not exceeding 750kg GVM
Class 2 will be known as “CE” – Articulated goods vehicle exceeding 7 500kg GVM may be combined with a trailer not exceeding 750kg
Class 3 will be known as “A” – Light motorcycles and medium motorcycles with power not exceeding 35KW, with or without a sidecar.
Class 4 will be known as “BE” – Light articulated vehicle with a GVM not exceeding 3500kg and not having more than 8 seats may be combined with a trailer not exceeding 750kg.
Class 5 will be known as “BE*” – Previously class 5 was only for Agricultural or Industrial tractors or any other suitable vehicles/machinery.
After the transitional phase, the following Professional Driver Permit Categories will come into effect:
<blockquote>
Code G for Goods vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Mass exceeding 3 500kg. The applicable minimum age for this category is 18 years;
Code P for Passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of more than 8. The applicable minimum age for this category is 25 years; and
Code D for Dangerous Goods vehicles for the transportation of Hazardous and Dangerous Goods. The applicable minimum age for this category is 25 years.
</blockquote>
After the transitional phase, the full spectrum of the following codes will apply:
<blockquote>
Codes A (18 years), B1 (18 years) and A1 (16 years) motorcycle/motor powered tri-/quadricycle/light motorcycle;
Codes B (16 years), BE (18 years) light motor vehicle&lt;3 500kg having not more than 8 seats /may draw a light trailer not exceeding 750kg GVM.
Codes C (21 years) and CE (21 years) &gt;7 500kg GVM, Codes C1 (18 years) and C1E (21 years) &gt;3 500kg GVM but not exceeding 7 500kg GVM/ with trailer not exceeding 750 kg.
Codes D1 (25 years) and D1E (25 years) omnibus &gt;8 seats but not more than 16 seats/with trailer not exceeding 750kg.
Codes D (25 years) and DE (24 years) omnibus &gt; 16 seats/ may be combined with a trailer.
</blockquote>
Minister Mhona added that the upcoming new Driver’s Licence is fully compliant with the standard specifications of the Southern African Development Community (SADC),  Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC).
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe To Transition From 5 Numerical Drivers' Licence Classes To 13 Codes

A South African anti-immigrant organisation, Operation Dudula in KwaZulu-Natal has demanded that transport operators stop hiring foreign national drivers following a road traffic accident that killed 21 people in Pongola, northern KwaZulu-Natal recently.
A truck, which was being driven by an undocumented foreign national according to Operation Dudula, collided with a bakkie transporting schoolchildren on Friday, killing 19 pupils, a teacher’s assistant and the bakkie driver.
Operation Dudula provincial chairperson Mfanafuthi Dumakude on Sunday said the organisation will visit the families and seek to help where they can. Said Dumakide:
<blockquote>
As Operation Dudula in the province, we want to get contact details of these families and the company (of the truck in the accident) and follow up on this matter.
From there we want to visit the families and see how we can make whatever donation to assist the families of the victims.
We have to make sure the company responsible for this accident must pay. If there are court cases to attend we will be there in support of the victims.
We can’t let this vanish in thin air like other similar incidents that were hot topics for a while and then died down later, as happened with people who killed others in Phoenix during the July 2021 unrest.
</blockquote>
The truck driver reportedly fled after the accident before being arrested on Sunday.
Dumakude claimed the driver was an undocumented foreign national adding that the labour department should be challenged on this issue. He said:
<blockquote>
It’s about time we, as an organisation that represents locals, look deeper into this and put pressure on the companies.
It’s one of the issues we want to fight, along with our alliance partners All Truck Drivers Forum in KwaZulu-Natal.
</blockquote>
The driver, Sibusiso Siyaya (28) appeared in the Pongola Magistrates’ Court on 21 counts of culpable homicide.
He will remain in custody until his next appearance on Monday, 26 September for a bail application. | <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-09-19-operation-dudula-targets-foreign-national-drivers-and-companies-that-hire-them-after-deadly-pongola-crash/">TimesLive</a>, <a href="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/pongola-horror-crash-kzn-government-delegation-to-attend-truck-drivers-court-hearing-20220919">News24</a>

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