Road safety champion says Tynwald school authoriti...

Road safety champion says Tynwald school authorities must shoulder responsibility for authorizing night travel

Africa Road Safety Observatory Roads4Life Champion Mr Tatenda Chinoda

Administrative culpability must be considered when analyzing the the Tynwald School bus crash in Juliasdale to avoid similar future disasters, a road safety awareness expert has said.

“The administrators who gave the driver permission to move at night must also shoulder responsibility for the Tynwald School Bus crash in Juliasdale on Friday night,” Africa Road Safety Observatory Roads4Life Champion Mr Tatenda Chinoda said in response to questions from Zim Now.

“Night travel is not allowed by the Ministry, we want students to be settled by latest 5pm,” Manicaland Provincial Education Director Edward Shumba said on Saturday after news of the road crash came out.

The crash resulted in the death of 6 learners: Anesuishe Hove (14), Beyonce Guyo (15), Anita Manyuka (16), Destiny Dziva (14), Kimberly Tarisai Mutusva (15) (all female) and Craig Madanhire 14.

9 critically injured pupils are in private care in Mutare while 26 others remain in Nyanga Hospital. The deceased learners are being buried together at Glen Forest in Harare.

Mr Chinoda said while police had pointed at excessive speed, there is need to consider that the driver is unlikely to have been responsible for the time of movement and the school authorities must answer to that.

He spoke about other bus disasters involving school children such such as the Regina Coeli and Masvingo Teachers’ College ones as all having happened at night.

Mr Farai Hove father to the late Anesuishe also raised the same concern: “I may ask questions on why they delayed going to Nyanga, no one will answer me.”

Mr Madanhire, an uncle to the late Craig said that he hoped that the lesson learnt from the disaster would be taken seriously by other institutions.

“It is a lesson for everyone…. I leave this to the authorities. Most companies do not allow their vehicles to operate after 6pm ….. Other schools countrywide must learn from this experience,” he said.

Speaking at a funeral service held at the school over the weekend, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Evelyn Ndlovu also spoke against night travel.

“We must not travel at night with schoolchildren in such dangerous places.”

The school’s responsible authority, the Zvinavashe Trust, has issued a statement saying they are looking into the matter.

“Investigations into the cause of the accident are still ongoing with the relevant authorities and will be shared in due course,” the Trust said.