HOME Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo yesterday said plans to computerise the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s (ZRP) operations, including management of roadblocks, were at an advanced stage, with the government set to sign a multi-million-dollar public-private partnership (PPP) deal in the next two months.
Source: Swipe machines coming to roadblocks – NewsDay Zimbabwe November 1, 2016
BY VENERANDA LANGA
Chombo disclosed the deal when he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport to speak on automation of the ZRP, roadblocks and spot fines.
“ZRP has for the last four years been asking the government to computerise to help us reduce roadblocks, catch people driving without licences and to catch motorists abusing the system,” he said.
“In a month or two, we should be able to sign a PPP with partners such as the Ministry of Transport to computerise, control and manage all roadblocks so that, even if a motorist does not have money to pay a spot fine, they can swipe.
“The computerised system will enable ZRP headquarters in Harare to see from a satellite what is taking place at every roadblock in the country. It will take care of all complaints that people have been making to the effect that ZRP traffic officers have been taking bribes.”
Chombo told the committee that the computerised system would make it easier to tell who the owner of a vehicle is by just looking at the number plates or by punching the identity number of a driver, and getting their thumb prints.
Through the system, motorists who have not paid vehicle licence fees, or even dodged paying spot fines will be nabbed at roadblocks and tollgates.
He said, so far, 500 traffic police officers had been arrested for corrupt activities at roadblocks and fired.
Asked by Mbire MP Douglas Karoro (Zanu PF) to explain why roadblocks were mounted less than 10 kilometres apart, Chombo said the police would be looking for criminals or stolen vehicles.
“The public might see it as an inconvenience, but it is a service done to the public so that notorious road users are attended to. It may happen once or twice that there may be rogue elements that mount their own roadblocks, but those have always been nabbed and they are no longer members of the ZRP.”
Spiwe Muchenje (MDC-T Proportional Representation MP) then asked Chombo to explain why police were throwing spikes at moving commuter omnibuses and endangering the lives of passengers.
Chombo said the owner of the commuter omnibus and the driver would be held responsible for accidents, where police throw spikes at errant kombi drivers.
He defended spot fines saying they were lawful in terms of section 356 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, adding errant drivers often provide fake addresses to the police.
COMMENTS
You see, ZRP Traffic Dept road blocks have nothing to do about road safety or stopping the carnage on our roads – it is all about just collecting money from the motorists. As for me offering the cops at the road block my thumb for a thumb print – forget, that is illegal unless I have committed a fairly serious crime; an infringement as far as the spot fine schedule is concerned does not in any way warrant a thumb print. So, a satellite in space will be able to see what’s going on at every road block (who pays for that satellite?), and how is this satellite going to take care of all the road users complaints? Will there be a sat phone at every road block that a motorist can use to phone ZRP HQ and lay a complaint? This country can’t even provide medicines for hospital patients, can’t provide money to workers, can’t provide school books, can’t provide good governance – but it can sure waste money on a satellite that is capable of monitoring every police roadblock! WOW! Hey, Zimbabwe, welcome to the expensive tech world. Chombo, one of the biggest crooks in Zimbabwe needs a satellite over his house/office just to check everything he does. That should net more money than all the roadblocks do.
Enforced spot fines are clearly illegal in terms of Section 356 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, so we have an openly dishonest Home Affairs Minister. This government degenerates by the day.
Why not just use the police for their proper duties (protecting and serving the public)???? Using these scumbags to rob and bribe the driving public breeds distrust and hatred for them and their masters.
Chombo should worry about himself. The vultures are circling.
uhu ndo humhata chaihwo hakuna huhoro hunopfuura apa
Chombo is trying to circumvent the police in revenue collection. This corrupt bunch realise that just as soon as they introduce the bond dollar their police force will be redundant within a day as the public will pay their fines in bond dollars . The last thing this thieving moron wants is bond dollars coming back to their reserve bank, they must be out in to public arena whilst his Zpf club net in the diasporan dollar. Zimbo’s do not accept bond dollars!
We must use technology and advance with the times. I salute Chombo!
Chimsoro na chombo MRI…….dzezvituta kungo kongonyara ruharo nxaaassaaaaaaaa!!!