The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
FEMALE drivers have been challenged to be game changers in the transport sector and take up challenges associated with the sector in line with the First Lady, Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa’s national empowerment programme.
Speaking during the launch of the Women Drivers Empowerment Programme which also doubled as the 2021 festive season road safety awareness campaign in Mutare recently, Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) vice-chairman, Mr Panganai Sanangurai said in order to reduce road carnage, female drivers need to take heed of Amai Mnangagwa’s call for women to enter male dominated fields, including driving public service vehicles.
The day was celebrated under the theme ‘Engagement of Women Drivers Towards Sustainable Reduction of the Road Traffic Deaths and Injuries’.
It saw 60 female drivers receiving provisional driver’s licences in different classes.
The First Lady, who is the patron of the National Transport and Drivers Association (NTDA), is spearheading the programme which targets women and youths as part of broad-based measures to reduce carnage on the country’s roads.
Amai Mnangagwa works in partnership with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ).
“ICZ’s mandate is to promote, protect and advance the interests of its members and that of the insuring public, while aiming to ensure that the insurance sector operates and contributes to the growth and sustainability of the national economy in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This includes our female and youthful drivers who are being led by Amai Mnangagwa.
“It is encouraging to witness an event such as this where women are not just empowering themselves through economic activities in the transport sector, but also taking responsibility of life preservation on our roads through responsible driving,” said Mr Sanangurai
He further appealed to all Zimbabweans to be part of the national effort of complying with road safety rules and exercising cautious usage of the roads.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Nokuthula Matsikenyeri said while Government has made great strides in improving roads, road users should not take the positive development as permission to speed.
She thanked Amai Mnangagwa for empowering and inspiring female drivers across the country.
“Let us use the road responsibly to preserve life and national assets. The women who are being celebrated here today have laid a foundation for a revolution that will secure lives on our national roads and we want to thank Amai Mnangagwa for that,” she said.
Minister Matsikenyiri also said women should take up challenging posts in the transport sector.
Ms Linda Kasu, who received a Class One Provisional Driver’s Licence on the day, thanked the First Lady for the programme.
“Women have been handed the chance to become professional drivers and we will take advantage of that to prove to the world that we are good at what we do. We will show the world that we are better drivers considering that we are cautious,” said Ms Kasu.
Another beneficiary, Ms Esther Matenda, said with more female drivers, there will be less road carnage
