The Shangani community has implored the government to put mechanisms that help drivers reduce speed when approaching their shopping centre along the Gweru-Bulawayo highway to reduce accidents and save lives.
The area has become an accident hotspot where several pedestrians and livestock crossing the section have been killed or injured by speeding vehicles.
In the petition, community members said the speed limit of 80km per hour when approaching Shangaani from Harare needed to be reduced.
During a recent visit to the area, residents complained to Sunday Southern Eye that incidents of people being hit by speeding vehicles were becoming too frequent — sometimes it happened on a daily basis.
“The speed limit signs need to be looked at here,” said one resident.
“We feel it needs to be reduced to at least 40km because we can’t have a speeding car when entering a settlement area.If not, we request speed humps to be constructed because we are losing a lot of lives.”
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The former councillor for the area, Sikhanyisiwe Nkomo, said she once raised concerns about the area being a dark spot.
“In 2018 I talked about it and I was told that I should wait a bit for the area to become a town,” Nkomo said.
“At the time, Shangaani was not a township and not as busy as it is now.”
Ward 23 councillor for Insiza, Nomusa Moyo, said they had written letters to the transport ministry about the issue but had not received a favourable response.
“The issue of the black spot is worrying,” Moyo said. “I wrote a letter asking the ministry of Transport that they put at least speed humps at Shangani Station because we are recording too many accidents.”
A letter dated February 5, 2024 addressed to the engineer in the Transport ministry’s road department in Matabeleland South, written by Moyo reads: “Request for road signs and speed limit humps. Areas of concern: Bulawayo-Harare Road, Shangani. Shangani Mine turn-off.”
“It is a bus stop for school children and locals who may be inebriated.
“Shangani business centre from water works, JRG workshop to business centre, through to farmers club turn-off and the playground.”