Aaron Gono
While not much is talked about the benefits of what victims of accidents are entitled to in the country, it leaves them in a zero-situation.
For example if a breadwinner of a family is killed or injured in a road accident, mostly the family of the deceased person will live a pauper’s life.
As an eyewitness of the Marz bus accident which happened at Chaka business centre in Chirumhanzu on 5 May 2025. I kept in touch with other accident victims, whom l regularly enquire about their conditions. To my dismay these victims are paying up their daily medical expenses from their savings, for x-rays, transport, lunch, and medications, when visiting private practitioners.
I asked them what the bus company was doing for them? And they said the staff or whoever was pretending to care and symphathize with them had actually blocked them. Cordon sanitaire! And l asked myself ” but these buses are insured, so what is their problem”?
That was when l sought guidance from veteran road safety specialist Tatenda Chinoda. The writer was forced to find out if Zimbabwe as a country has no such facility, to compensate those injured or perish in our roads. He was very resourceful and gave to me Ms Ringisayi of the Zimbabwe Insurance Council’s contact card.
Fortunately Ms Ringisayi is the type of personnel who are now rare in our labour ecosystem. When l first introduced myself to her on WhatsApp; she was quick to respond to me and l thought, this is AI at work with me. Within some minutes she phoned me using a landline.
Ms Ringisayi had to educate me from the basics. She lectured to me about the Public Passenger Liability Cover commonly known as Public Passenger Insurance;
“All public service vehicles ie. Commuter omnibuses, buses, taxis, tour operators’ vehicles, school buses to provide insurance compensation.
Coverage include:
Death, medical Limits etc.”
Permanent Disability: The percentage of compensation is provided by a Medical doctor upon assessing a victim.”
The following are the documents required to submit a claim for compensation for
Death, Medical/Funeral & Permanent Disability Claims:
1. Police report (with names of victims)
2. Completed claim form (This should be filled in by the owner of the vehicle. Should the owner fail to do so, the victim should still submit the other documents to ICZ and will be assisted to access compensation.)
3. Proof of insurance (victims can be assisted by ICZ in verifying existence of insurance cover by ICZ should the operator not do so.)
4. Copy of driver’s license
5. Medical receipts & treatment quotations (for injury claims)
5.Doctor’s report on disability level (if applicable)
6.Death certificate (for death claims)
7.Funeral expense receipts (if applicable)
8. ED19 Form from the High Court (for death benefits payout to beneficiaries)
Public Passenger Insurance Claims are submitted to the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe
physically or by email.
Currently the Zimbabwean government has passed a bill known as Road Traffic Accident Act into law. It is similar in stature to the South African RTA. This act is a panacea for those injured or die in accidents. The citizens of Zimbabwe are relieved to have such a law in the country.
To the Marz bus operator and others please act responsibly and avoid taking people’ s ignorance to get away with murder.
