Mthabisi Tshuma, Gwanda Correspondent

MATABELELAND South province recorded 12 accidents during the Easter holidays, all caused by livestock straying onto the highways.

The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), a parastatal under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, in 2016 embarked on a project to fence off the country’s highways as part of measures to reduce carnage on the country’s roads caused by stray animals.

The TSCZ also intensified educational campaigns to ensure that all farmers along major highways also put yellow reflective ear tags on their herds to reduce accidents.

Under the Roads and Road Traffic regulations, farmers risk being prosecuted for stray livestock.

This however has fallen on deaf ears as some farmers do not monitor and pen their cattle at night.

Due to the incessant rains experienced this season, there has been an abundance of grass for grazing which has seen most livestock’s resorting to graze by the roadsides.

Matabeleland South police provincial spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said twelve accidents were recorded during the Easter holidays.

“As a province we recorded 12 accidents of which one was fatal, one was serious while the other 10 accidents were minor ones.

“All these accidents were caused mainly by livestock straying onto the highways,” said Insp Mangena.

“We would like to urge farmers to pen their cattle at night and also ensure that during the day the livestock do not graze by the roadside in order to avoid loss of lives.”

Last month, 20-year-old Anele Ndlovu from West Nicholson died after his vehicle ploughed into a herd of cattle at the 195km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road.

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