POLICE have warned that there is worrying spike in accidents along the Bulawayo-Gweru Highway as a result of stray livestock.
More often when one drives along that route, particularly around the Shangani area, they come across cattle grazing along the road.
Worsening the situation is the issue of theft of perimeter fences erected to keep the animals inside farms.
Whoever is stealing them is putting the lives of many people who use our highways in danger.
The Gweru-Bulawayo Highway incidents are not isolated.
Lupane, at one time, threatened to impound all stray animals in the small town.
Gweru, Plumtree, Bulawayo, Mutoko, Gokwe, Gwanda, you name it, the local authorities there are facing the same crisis.
Statutory Instrument (SI) 308 of 1974 prohibits anyone who keeps livestock from allowing them to graze near roads.
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In June this year, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy minister Davis Marapira expressed concern over people who vandalise perimeter fences, emphasising the importance of penning livestock, especially at night, to avoid having them roaming around on highways causing injury, death and property damage.
He warned that those who failed to pen their livestock risked having them confiscated.
Many citizens fail to pen their livestock and are the first to cry foul when local authorities indicate that they will impound the stray animals.
The animals pose a danger to both motorists and pedestrians.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police must live up to their motto Pro Lege, Pro Patria, Pro Populo (for the law, for the nation and for the people).
They should enforce SI 308 of 1974 to protect the lives of the travelling public on our roads.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe must also hold roadshows across the country and stress the importance of watching over domestic animals during the day and penning them at night.
The farmers themselves also run the risk of having their cattle stolen by rustlers in the event that they stray far.
Many people have lost lives or damaged their cars after hitting cattle, mostly at night.
We cannot have a nation where almost all local authorities are complaining about stray livestock.
Something has to give.
The local authorities must auction off any livestock that would have been impounded.
Those whose livestock are impounded, if they go to claim them back, should be fined for being reckless in the first place.
No person should be permitted to let their livestock animals wander or feed in the council areas without the written consent of that council.
It should be known that the local authorities have the right and power to seize animals which are found trespassing or straying.
They can even sell, destroy or dispose of such animals if they are not claimed within two weeks.
Desperate times, desperate measures.
The festive season is fast approaching and there will be a lot of movement on the roads, hence we have to be decisive and protect all road users from reckless farmers.
