Bus Driver Gets Life Ban, Jail for Drunk Driving

A Bulawayo bus driver was banned for life from operating public service vehicles and sentenced to 12 months in prison for driving under the influence with 50 passengers, iHarare News reported. The court condemned his actions as a gross violation of public trust. The driver was apprehended after concerned passengers alerted police. The case comes as Zimbabwe grapples with a spike in road accidents, many linked to alcohol and reckless driving. The sentence reflects a judiciary increasingly intolerant of such offenses, but enforcement on the roads remains weak. While the sentence sets a precedent, the lack of routine sobriety checkpoints means the deterrent effect may be limited, leaving passengers at the mercy of irresponsible operators and a system that reacts only after tragedy.