By Staff Writer
The Zimbabwean government is ramping up efforts to overhaul the country’s post-crash management system, with a new Road Accident Fund (RAF) Bill expected to be enacted by the end of the second quarter of the year, according to Hon. Felix Tapiwa Mhona, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
Speaking during a public consultation on the RAF Bill in Harare today, Minister Mhona emphasized that the proposed legislation is a crucial response to the rising number of road traffic accidents in Zimbabwe, which he described as a national crisis, claiming thousands of lives each year.
“A road crash happens every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe. We’re looking at over 35,000 crashes annually, with at least five people dying every day and more than 1,800 lives lost each year,” said Minister Mhona, referencing data from the Road Safety Performance Review launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in January 2022.
Minister Mhona said the government is committed to moving away from traditional methods and introducing bold reforms—policy, legal, and administrative—designed to improve road safety management and enhance post-crash responses.
The proposed RAF Bill aims to create a comprehensive, non-fault-based social safety net that would provide immediate support to victims of road accidents. This would include evacuation, medical treatment, rehabilitation, and funeral expenses, regardless of fault.
A key element of the bill is improving emergency response, particularly during the “golden hour” – the crucial first hour after an accident, which Minister Mhona noted is one of the weakest aspects of Zimbabwe’s current response system.
“The rapid response and evacuation of victims within this golden hour can dramatically improve survival rates and reduce long-term complications. The Road Accident Fund is designed to close that gap,” he explained, adding that the success of coordinated ambulance deployments during the 2025 festive period already showed the positive impact of streamlined response mechanisms.
Minister Mhona also pointed out that the RAF Bill aligns Zimbabwe with regional neighbors like South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, all of which already have similar road accident funds in place.
Under the proposed system, 35 percent of the mandatory third-party motor vehicle insurance premium would be allocated to the Road Accident Fund. The remaining 65 percent would stay with insurance companies to cover vehicle damage and related claims. This change is expected to create a more balanced distribution of financial responsibility between the government and insurers.
Currently, motorists pay US$35.65 for third-party insurance, with the majority (69.3 percent) retained by insurance firms. The new approach aims to ensure a more equitable share of costs while offering better protection for the public.
The government is also considering other potential funding sources for the RAF, such as fuel levies, taxes on tobacco and alcohol products, vehicle imports, spare parts, and traffic fines, based on suggestions raised during earlier consultations.
Minister Mhona stressed that the Road Accident Fund would be part of a wider set of reforms to improve road safety, including strengthening the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe’s enforcement powers, digitizing traffic management systems, introducing penalty points for traffic offenders, and tightening regulations for driving schools and public transport operators.
The ongoing consultations, which are taking place in all nine provinces, are aimed at ensuring public input in the development of the bill before it is presented in Parliament.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. Your input is vital in crafting legislation that will save lives and ensure no one is left behind,” said Minister Mhona.
He concluded by noting that these proposed reforms are in line with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy, which aim to build a safer, more efficient transport system as part of the country’s goal of becoming an upper-middle-income economy.
