A ridiculous solution to a serious problem

According to the recently published regulations, the government is concerned about the high number of road traffic accidents on our roads and believes this step will reduce the carnage. This is a ridiculous solution to a serious problem. It is evident that not much thought has gone into it. Certainly it is not a reasonable solution and we very much doubt whether it will have the desired effect.

It is our contention that the age of the vehicle has very little to do with the causes of accidents. Rather the major causes are the manner in which the vehicle is driven and the levels of mechanical maintenance. And at the root of these two causes can be found none other than the root of much of Zimbabwes crisis corruption and the mismanagement of our economy by Zanu (PF) over the past three decades.

A further contributing factor in the high number of traffic accidents is, of course, the appalling state of the roads. Here again the blame lies squarely at Zanu (PF)s door. Banning the import of older vehicles will simply make life even more miserable for those not comfortably seated on the Zanu (PF) gravy train. In a country where public transport is totally inadequate, peoples right to freedom of movement is dependent upon access to affordable vehicles.

The economic collapse and widespread looting of resources presided over by Zanu (PF) has already pushed up the price of second-hand vehicles way beyond that of neighbouring countries. The local manufacturing industry has been brought to its knees for reasons cited above limiting further the options available to desperate Zimbabweans.

Has a thought been spared for the likely impact of this stupid regulation on the fiscus? The importation of second-hand vehicles must surely have brought in a tidy sum for ZIMRA over the years. We would have thought, that with the revenue base already so minute, the authorities would want to ensure that all possible sources of revenue are maximised.