How Mwanza police intensify crackdown, warning against drunk-drivers

MWANZA: ON any given day, thousands of vehicles move along Tanzania’s roads, carrying workers, families and goods that sustain the economy.

Beneath this daily movement, however, lies a growing and often underestimated danger drivers who take the wheel while intoxicated and, in some cases, without even holding a valid driving license, this combination is not just unlawful, it is a serious threat to public safety.

Alcohol consumption significantly alters a driver’s ability to function responsibly behind the wheel. According to road safety exports, it weakens concentration, clouds judgment and slows reaction time three essential elements for safe driving. In real-world terms, this means a driver may fail to notice a pedestrian crossing the road, misjudge the speed of an oncoming vehicle, or react too late to avoid a collision.

The result is often tragic, road crashes that lead to injuries, loss of life and irreversible trauma for families. When intoxication is compounded by lack of proper training, the risks escalate even further. However, an unlicensed driver typically lacks the foundational knowledge of road signs, traffic regulations and defensive driving techniques.

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Such drivers are more likely to make critical errors, from improper overtaking to failure in handling emergencies and in effect, they become unpredictable actors in an already complex traffic environment.

Beyond the immediate human cost, the broader economic implications are substantial. Road accidents linked to reckless driving impose heavy financial burdens damaged vehicles, medical treatment for victims, and loss of productive labour.

For a developing economy like Tanzania’s, these losses accumulate into a significant setback, affecting households, businesses and national productivity alike. The issue also carries social and governance dimensions. Persistent traffic violations undermine respect for the rule of law and place additional strain on public institutions tasked with ensuring safety.

When such behaviour goes unchecked, it sends a message of tolerance toward negligence, further entrenching risky conduct on the roads. Addressing this challenge requires more than routine enforcement. It demands a coordinated and sustained response.

Government authorities and security agencies must intensify road inspections, particularly in high-risk areas and during peak hours. Strict penalties should be consistently applied to deter offenders, ensuring that the cost of breaking the law outweighs any perceived convenience.

At the same time, public awareness campaigns are essential to shift attitudes toward responsible driving.

Communities must recognise that road safety is a shared responsibility, where individual choices directly affect the wellbeing of others. Ultimately, safer roads depend on a culture of accountability where driving is treated not merely as a routine activity, but as a responsibility that requires discipline, awareness and respect for human life.

According to the Police Force’s Crime and Road Safety Statistics Report for January–December 2025, a total of 3,771,620 crime and road safety incidents were reported at police stations nationwide, compared to 3,721,287 incidents reported during the same period in 2024 an increase of 50,333 cases, equivalent to 1.4 per cent.

The report further indicates that road safety incidents totalled 3,176,071, compared to 3,106,236 incidents reported during the same period in 2024, representing an increase of 69,835 cases, or 2.2 per cent.

Of all road safety incidents, major accidents numbered 1,347, while minor offences totalled 3,174,724. In comparison, during the same period in 2024, there were 1,735 major accidents and 3,104,501 minor offences.

This reflects a decrease of 388 major accidents (22.4 per cent) and an increase of 70,223 minor offences (2.3 per cent).

Regarding major accidents reported during the period, 1,275 people lost their lives and 2,295 were injured, compared to 1,715 deaths and 2,719 injuries recorded in the same period in 2024. This represents a decrease of 440 deaths (25.7 per cent) and 424 injuries (15.6 per cent).

The report also notes that out of the 1,347 major accidents recorded between January and December 2025, 322 involved motorcycles, compared to 432 motorcycle accidents reported in the same period in 2024 a decrease of 110 accidents (25.5 per cent).

These statistics underscore the importance of strict adherence to road safety laws by drivers in order to protect lives, property and road infrastructure, which is built using billions of taxpayers’ funds.

In recognition of this importance, the Mwanza Regional Police Force has launched a sustained special operation to curb violations of road safety laws committed by some motorists, particularly operators of two- and three-wheeled motorcycles (commonly known as bajaj), which have been causing disturbances and posing dangers to other road users.

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Mwanza Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mr Wilbrod Mutafungwa, recently stated in Mwanza City while assessing the operation, which began on 31st March this year and is still ongoing, that the police will show no leniency to drivers who violate road safety laws, especially those driving under the influence of alcohol.

However, the RPC emphasised that strict legal action will be taken against offenders. He said the operation targets violations such as the use of excessively bright and illegal headlights that impair other road users, drunk driving, failure to wear helmets, operating vehicles without registration numbers or with fraudulent plates, carrying more passengers than permitted by law, and driving without valid licenses.

He said during the ongoing operation across various parts of Mwanza City and Region, police have arrested seven drivers for various traffic offences, including driving under the influence of alcohol and without licenses, which contravenes the Road Traffic Act.

He told reporters that, police have impounded 98 threewheeled motorcycles, five two-wheeled motorcycles with modified noisy exhausts, 13 passenger vehicles, and four private cars for various traffic violations. DCP Mutafungwa stated that the owners of the seized vehicles, along with the arrested drivers, will face legal action, including court proceedings.

He named some of the drivers whose licenses have been suspended for driving under the influence as Suleiman Magoti (36), a resident of Nyakato, driver of a Toyota Hiace (registration number T 763 DNB) operating between Kakebe and the Airport; Elias Michael (28), a resident of Nyegezi, driver of a Toyota Coaster (T 665 DPF) operating between Kisesa and Usagara; and Ramadhani Rashid Athuman (56), who was driving a Toyota Hiace (T 680 BKN) operating between the Airport and Nyashishi.

Other drivers arrested according to DCP Mutafungwa include Joeli Ezekiel (36), a resident of Nyakato Mecco, driving a Toyota Town Ace Pickup (T 397 DWG); Fidelis Rong’ongo (27), a resident of Musoma in Mara Region, driving a Toyota Crown (T 979 EEB); and Shaban Siraji (55), a resident of Capripoint, driving a Toyota Hiace (T 622 CGN) operating between Ilemela and Nyashishi.

“All these drivers, who were found driving under the influence of alcohol, have had their driving licenses suspended for six months starting 4th April this year,” he said.

He urged vehicle owners and drivers to comply with road safety laws, regulations and procedures by removing illegal lights that may cause accidents, ensuring their vehicles have valid registration numbers and possessing proper driving licenses.

“All these drivers were found with valid licenses, which essentially means they misused them. A driver with a license must adhere to road safety laws, regulations and procedures before operating any motor vehicle,” he explained.