THE Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Board is planning to start holding prayers as one of the several strategies to curb the increasing road accidents in the country.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga said the RTSA Board told him that they would soon start holding prayers to seek God’s intervention on increasing road accidents in Zambia which have claimed many lives of citizens.
Speaking in an interview in Livingstone, Mr Mukanga said the first day of prayers was expected to take place on June 14, 2015 in Lusaka
“The RTSA board has told me one of the measures they want to do to mitigate road accidents is that they will be conducting prayers.
“I think they have set June 14, 2015 to pray for this country and move forward. We want to see a difference because we don’t want to lose more lives,” he said.
Mr Mukanga noted that many people had lost their lives due to road accidents which were caused by drivers.
“RTSA will be carrying out a number of big operations because of what is happening where we have continued to lose a lot of lives.
“We have to start doing 24 hours of checking what is happening on the roads as some of these road accidents would have been avoided. How do you expect nine people to travel in a Corolla and survive? That is seriously overloading and these are some of the issues we have been putting a blind eye and the effects have been very disastrous,” Mr Mukanga said.
He said if the probability of accident increased, there would chances that every person boarding a bus or taxi might not come back home.
“We don’t want to have such a probability. We want Zambians to take ownership and responsibility on the roads.
“Some of these young people who are dying in road accidents could have been our future doctors, engineers, teachers and politicians just to mention a few,” he said.
Mr Mukanga said it would be difficult to talk about sustainable development for the future at the rate in which a lot of people were dying through road accidents.
“We need to sustain these precious lives. It is unacceptable to continue losing lives especially through human error, overloading and careless driving.
“For parents who have money, they should not give their unlicensed children to drive their vehicle as this is risky. There is also need to stop the habit of drinking and driving as this is also a source of many road accidents,” Mr Mukanga said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mukanga said it was unacceptable that some police officers were ignoring the directive issued by Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila recently for them not to mount unnecessary roadblocks.
“If there is a security check on the road, it should be a security check and not where police officers are asking for other questionable things.
“Unnecessary roadblocks have been addressed by the Minister of Home Affairs and everybody should follow what the Minister has said. We are not going to accept a situation where the Minister has issues an instruction and some police offices are not following it,” Mr Mukanga said.
This is a clear sign that incompetence has finally shaken hands with f00lishness. Nothing more to add.
God helps those that help themselves. Thousands of people have attended shoddy driving schools and bought their driving licenses without genuinely being certified competent to drive. And now, these bogus drivers are driving on our shoddy roads that are both poorly designed and portly maintained – it’s Government’s curse on its own people!!!! So, let’s pray for government to become competent in designing, constructing & maintaining roads. Then pray also for govt to institute transparent ways of testing drivers & certifying them competent. And then the drivers themselves to stop being reckless on the road. So, don’t just say govt will conduct prayers – we need to first identify WHO and WHAT to pray for?
Sorry; “… Poorly maintained…”
SMH & SMH – shakes my head & scratches my head!
This what religion does to you..utter stupidity indeed..
The churches must start inspecting cars for road fitness, and issuing road and diving licences, while police can be listening and dancing to pilatos music.
WE THANK RTSA FOR THAT INITIATIVE,BUT ON TOP OF THAT LET ME ADVISE THEM AND ALSO ALL ROAD USERS.ACCORDING TO MY OWN ANALYSIS MOST OF THE ROAD ACCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR ROADS THEY ARE SATANIC BY NATURE NOT INCOMPETENCE.
99% OF ALL THE ACCIDENTS JUST HAPPEN ON THE SAME SPOT AREAS FOR EXAMPLE ALONG GREAT NORTH ROAD WE HAVE THESE AREAS WHICH HAVE CLAIMED THOUSANDS OF LIVES: JOHN CHINENA,KABWE TOWN,MULUNGUSHI AREA,MPULA,MKUSH AREA,SERENJE AREA,MPIKA AREA AND ISOKA-NAKODE STRETCH.FROM KAPIRI UP TO CHILILABOMBWE WE HAVE THESE SPOT AREAS:KAPIRI GLASS FACTORY AREA,MISHIKISHI,KAFULUFUTA, TARGAGAN AREA,NDOLA KITWE STRETCH,KITWE CHINGOLA RD.GREAT EAST RD WE HAVE CHINYUNYU,RUFUNSA,NYIMBA AREA,CHIPATA-LUNDAZI RD.FROM KAFUE ROUND ABOUT UP TO LIVINGSTONE WE HAVE CHILANGA AREA,MAZABUKA SHOPRITE…
THE LIST IS ENDLESS BUT WHAT AM SAYING IS THAT MOST OF THE ACCIDENTS ARE SATANIC.AM URGING BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS TO BE PRAYING BEFORE THEY START-OFF,DRIVERS TO AVOID SATANIC ALLUREMENTS SUCH AS ALCOHOL DRINKING WHILE DRIVING,UTU MAGELO SANA PA MUSEBO AND TO OBSERVE AND OBEY TRAFFIC RULES ALWAYS THEN THE GOOD AND DEAR JEHOVAH SHALL HELP US.NOT UKULAPEPELELA BACINTOMFWA IT CANT WORK,GOD IS NOT LIKE A ROBOT,ALL HE NEEDS IS CHANGE OF BAD BEHAVIOUR FROM ALL OF US.
It is time to dismiss the b.astards running RTSA. This is clear admission that they don’t know what to do.
As we are praying…..lets also ask for God’s guindance on how we can improve on our road signage and other tools meant to help mitigate the problem at hand.
The Gods must be LOL at these fool$. And which God will you be praying to? Allah? Yahweh? Perhaps Hindu God? Buddha maybe? Fix your roads, stop importing cars that are considered junk from the country of origin, stop unnecessary road blocks and above all stop with the corruption! Only in Africa will you find such nonsense!
Prayer….. Ok! Now that is when we remember God. When stealing the money meant for Road rehabilitation, expansion and signage we do not remember God. Do not use God’s name in vain guys!
LOL!!!
Somehow, that HUGE Pothole will move because of a prayer!!!
Priorities in Zambia are always back to front!!
Prayers will NOT stop the high incidents of road carnage.
What is needed is proper investment in Quality Road infrastructure.
This is why when some of us bemoan the High incidents of Corruption in Government, some shallow minded Citizens call us “Bitter”
Bitter over what?? It’s You the people who live there who, are perishing, or losing loved ones, while Corrupt officials give You shoddy work, or give contracts to Cadres who vanish with the money, without doing any work.
When these same corrupt officials are imprisoned, some wise crack decides to pardon them, & hence Zambia continues to stagnate.
Prayers will NOT solve Zambia underdevelopment, & citizens will continue to die on our Roads, + hospital’s.
Would not at all be surprised if Kambwili issues a statement blaming God for the high incidents of RTA’s
RTSA hahahahahaha! RTSAhahahahahaha! RTSAhahahahahaha! Turning to prayers for failing to curb road carnage! Teach road safety!
Poor driving standards are to blame. Modern veheacals are powerful dangerous weapons when used by individuals not properly trained. How can you give some one who has corruptly obtained a license a 3litter petrol engine to drive at upto 150 m/h?
This is a joke of the century. These guys should resign if they have failed to run RTSA.
What happens if after they have prayed, we witness more accidents?
Please RTSA, STOP trivializing the almighty GOD.
They wouldn’t resign, as jobs are not usually awarded on merit, but who you know, or if one can swear loudest for the master who fuels the Belly.
I can’t believe RTSA just passed such a statement
What type of thinking is this?
Awe ba RTSA get serious! I dont remember when RTSA turned into a religious organization! Much as we appreciate the power of prayer, your role is to come up with empirical strategies that will help curb accidents and not this metaphysical strategies you want to resort to! Leave that aspect to prayer warriors while you direct your energy to traffic law enforcement and coming up with good strategies to curb road accidents!
Also come up with a way of preventing these mini bus and cab drivers who have a habbit of loading passengers right on the middle of the road! I was in the country last week and believe you me driving in the streets of Lusaka is a challenge!
Mukanga you are also very dull, what will prayers do about the foolishness of RTSA? Yes RTSA must hold prayers to stop their rotten corrupt practices of issung licences to dogs masquerading as drivers.
Truthfully speaking 40% of drivers today have no idea of what the highway code is and 10% don’t even know what a driver’s licence is.
We don’t stand a chance to move forward with this type of mentality. Surely who ever made that statement is not serious! Is this how low Zambia has gone? A prayer to get rid of all incompetent people in public positions perhaps could do wonders.
*stop mocking God*
You know the impunity that has been going on with respect to drunken driving and substance abuse, which coupled with poor road makings and badly maintained roads is a deadly combination- yet you want to organize prayers!.How can you in this age still be solely relying on corruptible cops moving around with one speed meter when you could install speed Cameras in which tickets are automatically issued for over speeding and payments are straight to the bank?. Please be serious for once.
KAUNDA ALREADY PRAYED FOR THAT.
ARE YOU DOUBTING GOD.?
http://www.lusakatimes.com/2015/05/26/kk-prays-and-blesses-the-nation/
This is not the time for miracles you RATSA fools. I cant be suprised if you next call “Dr” Vongo or some fake prophet to intervene. Dont waste man hours seating your asses on some hired chair whilst taking mineral water & biscuits using my TAX when you are supposed to use it to erect signages, construct speed humps and paint pedestrian crossings. If you cant plan & execute then leave room for competent people. If u want to pray do it at home before leaving for work.
Only in Zambia with its docile masses can this be tolerated…its just mindboggling…why dont we stop paying these empty tins let them pray for their salaries at the end of the month; let us see what they will think of that? Exactly.
GET TO WORK YOU INCOMPETENT MORONS…INCLUDING YOUR LAZY BOSS IN STATE HOUSE!!
Jay Jay the rotten system is not a creation of Edgar.
How can the bad behavior and incompetence of some Zambian drivers be an issue to present to God? What will RATSA with the encouragement of the Minister be saying in their prayers to God about the bad behavior and incompetence of Zambian drivers? This is not a spiritual matter, this is just foolishness and bad behavior on Zambian roads which RATSA and the Police must deal with! If we needed evidence of failure to manage our own affairs, this approach being suggested by RATSA is one of them! At this rate how many things are we going to delegate upwards?
What is worse is that the whole of a Minister, including his whole office and advisers, repeats and endorses the so called strategy. Corruption in obtaining driving licenses, unworthy vehicles on the roads, speeding, overloading of vehicles (both passengers and loads) and general lack of driving regulations, poor infrastructure are the contributing factors. The money RTSA will spend on these prayer sessions should be spent on holding workshops with relevant stakeholders to come up with proper strategies that will reduce the current risks on the roads.
Just go to a Catholic Priest and confess your sins (receiving bribes). After that return all the money you have solicited from motorists and turn a new leaf. Short of this, your prayers will be in vain.
Is this for real if it is then all we have in government are embicels who have stopped thinking. No I am giving them too much credit they never had any brains in the first instance!!
Is this not the same minister Sata once called chip***?
Extend those prayers to ask The Almighty to bless us with wise, selfless and progressive leadership, the current crop of leadership is a disaster, the country is auto pilot, people are surviving by their own initiative/wit.
This has nothing to do with prayer !!!!! People driving 140km/h in 100km zone…what do you expect? and to make matters worse they got the licence from matero…Ba RATSA the whole system too needs a overhaul……CORRUPTION is the major problem!
You mean you can’t just put humps on the road to slow down motorists? You can’t stiffen he law against speedy driving? You can’t employ those jobless youths to help with traffic control? Now I even remember one boss (MHSRIP) who said his “disciples” were useless and called one of them “ulichipuba”.
No wonder so many bloggers are laughing lol…some roads in Lusaka and Kitwe are so horrible! I thank God most times that I traveled the roads during the day so that at night am aware of stupid little roundabouts and t-junctions with no signs at all that the road is coming to an end. Incompetence is now breeding f00lishness. Jack up!
The road markings have faded. These are put there to improve safety but in Zambia most of road markings were painted after the roads were constructed and have not been repainted. The markings should also be wide not these narrow strips. I was impressed on how bold, wide and white the road markings were when I saw the British PM being driven to Buckingham Palace
This is stupidity at the highest level of government. Are you planning to pay the officers for time spent praying? If so that is being absent from work. Traffic officers should be on the job outside helping people navigate through traffic. Before you do anything show us statistical data indicating the number of deaths for being drunk, no licence, bad sign, speeding etc. After that start by working on the item with the highest incidents. When that issue is resolved go to the one with the next higher number of incidents. By the end of 12 to 18 months you will show progress. PRAYING WILL NOT REDUCE ACCIDENTS. People job performance and specific action will do.
pwahahahahaha….this is a joke..!!!!!