By Tendai Makaripe
LOSING a child is a pain no parent should have to endure. The grief is deep, and the weight of the loss is often unbearable.
While no death is easier to accept than another, some tragedies are preventable, such as when a child is struck and killed by a speeding vehicle near their school. Six-year-old Mbalenhle Sibanda, a Grade 1 pupil at McKeurtan Primary School in Bulawayo, is one such example. Just three months into her schooling, she was hit by a speeding driver a few meters from the school gate on her way home.
She died on the spot. Her parents, waiting for her usual return, were instead met with the devastating news. Her story is not isolated. In Dete, a nine-year-old learner from Ndangababi Primary School was run over by a police officer who attempted to flee the scene.
These incidents highlight a growing crisis: the lack of safe school zones in Zimbabwe, an issue that continues to cost young lives unnecessarily. A safe school zone is a designated area around a school where measures are implemented to protect children from harm, particularly traffic accidents.
These measures include reduced speed limits, pedestrian crossings, clear signage, and sometimes the presence of law enforcement or crossing guards. The goal is to ensure children can travel to and from school safely, encouraging attendance and providing peace of mind to parents.
While these zones are essential, they remain absent in many parts of Zimbabwe. “The infrastructure around schools often does not support the safety of children,” said Mcleo Mapfumo, the projects manager at Safe School Zone Zimbabwe.
He explained that the absence of measures like speed bumps, pedestrian crossings, and signage creates high-risk environments for young pedestrians. In Glen View 8, Mapfumo and his team used the International Road Assessment Program (IRAP) methodology to assess the safety of children walking to school.
They found that children’s safety was compromised which led to the deaths of eight children in a space of three years near the local school. “There were no visible markings, no proper signage and traffic lights were not working,” said SSZZ volunteer Tendekayi Marapara.
Added Mapfumo: “Our assessment showed that the area’s road infrastructure had a star rating of zero, indicating extreme danger for children.” In response, they implemented rumble strips, speed humps, a raised pedestrian crossing, and bollards, which improved the rating to three stars.
Despite this success, such initiatives are limited in scope and largely reliant on community advocacy rather than systemic government action. Government officials have acknowledged the problem but admit that resources remain a challenge.
“We are working to integrate safe school zones into our urban planning frameworks,” said a senior official in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, who requested anonymity.
“However, this requires collaboration across multiple departments and significant funding.”
Experts argue that the Zimbabwe Republic Police often lack the manpower to effectively monitor school zones arguing that community involvement and automated solutions like speed cameras could help us bridge this gap.
The situation is dire.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among people aged 5-29, with low- and middle-income countries like Zimbabwe bearing the brunt. The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe records an average of 2,000 road fatalities annually, many of which involve children.
Urban planners argue that the lack of child-focused road infrastructure is a major oversight.
“The design of our urban spaces prioritises vehicles over pedestrians, especially vulnerable ones like children,” said Tsitsidzaishe Chigumira, an urban planning consultant.
“We need to rethink our approach by prioritising pedestrian bridges, narrower roads near schools, and visible signage.”
Experts underscored the importance of safe school zones.
“Children have lower psychomotor capabilities because they are still developing, and their coordination is not necessarily at full capacity. This needs to be accounted for in roads and roadsides,” said Traffic safety specialist Ruvimbo Machingaidze.
Research has shown that a child crossing a 10-meter-wide road takes about five seconds, while a 25-meter-wide road may require up to 15 seconds, significantly increasing the risk of being hit by a vehicle.
To mitigate these risks, experts recommend child-friendly designs such as pedestrian bridges, tunnels, dedicated crossing zones with clear signage, and speed reduction measures like speed bumps or chicanes.
Zambia and South Africa provide examples of how to address these challenges.
In Lusaka, Zambia, authorities have implemented comprehensive measures to enhance road safety around schools.
Collaborating with organisations like Amend and the Zambia Road Safety Trust, the city introduced infrastructure improvements such as crosswalks, speed bumps, and sidewalks near schools.
These interventions led to a significant reduction in average vehicle speeds—from 38 km/h to 12 km/h in some areas—thereby creating safer walking routes for schoolchildren. Building on these efforts, Zambia legislated a national speed limit of 30 km/h in urban areas, particularly around schools and high pedestrian zones.
This policy shift followed sustained advocacy and has been instrumental in decreasing road traffic injuries among children.
In South Africa, initiatives like the “Walking Safely to School” (WATCH) project have been launched to improve school zone safety.
Implemented in Tshwane, this pilot project focuses on creating safer walking environments for students through infrastructural changes and community engagement.
These regional examples demonstrate that targeted infrastructure improvements and stringent speed regulations around schools can significantly enhance child safety.
Parents are deeply concerned. “Every day I worry about my child walking to school,” said Patience Ncube, whose son attends Warren Park High 1 school in Harare.
“We have raised these issues at school meetings, but without support from authorities, the school’s hands are tied.”
Child rights advocates emphasise the broader implications of unsafe school zones.
“Children have a right to education in a safe environment,” said Zororai Nkomo, a human rights lawyer specialising with children’s rights.
“Unsafe roads not only put their lives at risk but also create anxiety for parents and can impact school attendance.”
Efforts to create safe school zones have been successful in isolated cases.
For example, in Borrowdale Primary School and Hallingbury Primary School, community-driven initiatives have implemented pedestrian infrastructure and speed control measures.
However, these efforts alone are not enough. There is an urgent need for national policies that mandate safe zones around all schools, enforce speed limits of 30 kilometers per hour, and prioritize children’s safety in urban planning.
“Road safety for children should not be an afterthought,” Mapfumo said.
“It’s a matter of life and death.”
To address this crisis, the government must take responsibility by allocating resources, passing enforceable policies, and collaborating with local authorities and advocacy groups.
Communities can also play a role by raising awareness, engaging with schools, and advocating for infrastructure improvements.
Without coordinated efforts, Zimbabwe risks losing more children to preventable tragedies.
Safe school zones are not a luxury but a necessity.
They protect lives, promote education, and uphold the basic rights of children to grow up in a safe environment.
The time to act is now.
