Transport and Infrastructural Development Ministry led by Permanent Secretary Eng J. P Makumbe began the second round of national public consultations on the proposed Road Accident Fund (RAF) Bill, a landmark piece of legislation designed to overhaul Zimbabweโs post-crash response and establish a social safety net for all accident victims.
The consultations, which commenced in Marondera today, seek direct input from the public and stakeholders to finalise the Bill. The proposed Fund represents a significant policy shift, moving away from the current fault-based, third-party insurance system to a no-fault compensation model.
In a keynote address read by Eng Makumbe, she highlighted the urgent need for reform, citing grim national statistics: a road crash occurs every 15 minutes, with over 1,800 deaths and 10,000 injuries annually.
Eng Makumbe underscored that Road Accident Fund mechanism will spread the social safety net to take care of every citizen involved in road traffic accidents, including vulnerable road users, emphasizing that claimants would no longer need to prove who was at fault to receive support for medical costs, funeral expenses, and other related claims.
The Fund will be financed by reallocating a portion of the existing third-party insurance premium. Under the proposal, 35% of the current premium will be directed to the RAF, 34.3% will remain with insurance companies to cover vehicle damage, and the remainder covers broker fees, regulator costs, and road safety awareness.
The new system promises to cut the complex legal delays currently plaguing insurance settlements.
The consultative process in Marondera brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including various government ministries, the police, insurance companies, transport operators, health service providers, tradition leaders and civic organisations.
The proposed RAF is as a critical step towards achieving Vision 2030 and aligns with global road safety targets under the UNโs Decade of Action, which aims to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030.