I’ve just come across some shocking statistics on Zimbabwe’s road traffic safety – or lack thereof. According to Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas Goche:

In Zimbabwe there are 28 deaths per every 10 000 registered vehicles and there is a traffic collision every 15 minutes with an average of 45 people getting injured per day while on average five people are killed per day.

That’s right. An average of five people are killed per day on Zimbabwe’s roads. If 5 people per day were dying in political violence, there would be an outcry. SADC would be sending negotiators, the media would be covering events, and the responsible parties would be facing international censure.

But when it’s all of us, on our own roads, driving badly, it’s acceptable?

After facing years of persecution and harassment, members of the Church of the Province of Central Africa in Zimbabwe can now pray with both eyes closed after winning property ownership in the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe. The highest court of appeal in Zimbabwe has ruled that rightful ownership of Anglican Church assets belongs to the faction led by Bishop Chad Gandhiya and the CPCA.

Part of the Judgement delivered by Justice Omerjee at the Supreme Court reads:

“When one leaves a club one does not take its property with him or her. It has long been established as a salutary principle of law in this area of property ownership that when one or more people secede from an existing Church, they have no right to claim Church property even if those who remain members of the congregation are in the minority.”

Now what that looting and plundering has been put to a halt what remains to be seen is whether the ex-communicated Bishop and his followers will face the same fate of beatings and teargas by the police as they conduct services at the gates of the properties they once seized.

According to NewsDay, the High Court in Zimbabwe on Wednesday set aside Statutory Instrument 154/2010. This was the regulation that banned left-hand drive vehicles, required motorists to carry red reflective triangles and fire extinguishers, and prohibited driving of a car with a malfunctioning window winding mechanism (amongst other things).

So. How long until the Zimbabwe Republic Police stop asking motorists at their ATMS – oh, sorry, I mean road blocks – to show them a (serviced, certified, Zimbabwean, functioning) fire extinguisher or pay a bribe?

Kubatana has a new DVD compilation to share with you and . . . it’s free!

Check this out: 6 Fresh Films

1) All of the Lights – Even Mo’ Lil Swaggery Boy$. This video pokes fun at our power problems. A must see and a must share.

2) Toindepi? Reflections from a Discarded Generation produced by BornFree Trust and recent winner of Best Documentary at the Silicon Valley Africa Film Festival

3) Singer and activist Angelique Kidjo interviewed on BBC HARDTalk shares her experience of speaking out about the abuse of power in Zimbabwe

4) Zimbabwe War Veterans – Victims, Villains or Victors: A case for the national healing initiative is a film produced by Heal Zimbabwe

5) Activist Dave Meslin shares some insight into the barriers that discourage people from acting. Produced for a Canadian audience, his talk resonates in Zimbabwe as well

6) SHEROES: an interview with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liberian Leymah Gbowee

… and wait for it, there’s a very big …

*Bonus Feature*
Also in this pack is The Zambezi News series.
Recently the ZBC complained that Zambezi News “tarnishes its image.” Watch it and tell us what You think.

Want to get motivated and inspired? Get yours now!

Please email products [at] kubatana.net with 6 Fresh Films in the subject line giving your name and postal address and we will mail the DVDs to you.

We’re hoping that you like what you watch, that it gives you some inspiration and that it provokes conversation and action. Please make sure that you share this DVD with others.

Via Browsery