ADC pledges law for accident compensation

MOROGORO: THE Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) presidential candidate Wilson Mulumbe has pledged to enact legislation that will ensure families who lose loved ones in road accidents caused by driver negligence are adequately compensated, if elected in the upcoming General Election.

Speaking during a recent campaign rally at Mawenzi Market in Kiwanja cha Ndege Ward, Morogoro Municipality, Mr Mulumbe said the increasing number of road accidents has become a national crisis and it is unacceptable for families to continue suffering in silence without legal recourse.

“Road crashes happen frequently nowadays and we have normalised them. Families simply collect the bodies of their loved ones and go bury them. That must change,” Mulumbe told supporters.

He said his administration would introduce laws that guarantee generous compensations to families affected by accidents resulting from reckless driving.

“If ADC forms the government, we will enact stricter laws to deal with road crashes caused by negligence… Tanzanian should not continue to suffer by losing family members in accident that are preventable and if it occurs compensation will be effected,” he said.

“The lives of our citizens matter. In every such incident, the government will ensure compensation of up to 50m/-or more, depending on the severity and circumstances.”

Mr Mulumbe added that his government would not allow children to be orphaned and left without education or basic care due to the loss of their parents in road accidents.

He said time is up for a new kind of leadership that prioritises citizens’ safety and welfare, beginning with Members of Parliament who will advocate for laws that protect lives and ensure accountability.

“We need lawmakers who will push for justice and ensure that no life is lost in vain,” he said.

He pointed out that in many countries, when public transport vehicles are involved in fatal crashes, they are impounded and sold to pay compensation to the victims’ families.

ADC presidential running mate Shoka Khamis Juma echoed Mulumbe’s sentiments, saying that if elected, an ADC government would revise the national constitution within three months to align it with current realities.

“We urge all registered voters to choose change. If elected, we will initiate constitutional reforms without delay,” he said.

He also announced that the party intends to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) and will use the ten parliamentary seats constitutionally allocated to the president to appoint members from opposition parties.

“This is how we will demonstrate inclusivity and the spirit of national unity,” he noted.

Mr Juma praised some of the existing government efforts in infrastructure, but said an ADC administration would do more, particularly in improving medicine supply chains to health centres and dispensaries.

ALSO READ: ADC candidate promises borehole drilling trucks to all councils

He also pledged that the 10 per cent local government development fund would be provided interest-free to all eligible groups, including men, who are often excluded despite playing a key role in family livelihoods.