via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Mnangagwa clarifies on spot fines 12 February 2015
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa says the issue of spot fines is an administrative process that was put in place for the convenience of the justice delivery system.
Vice President Mnangagwa’s clarification follows the debate that dominated the media this week over spot fines.
In an interview on the sidelines of a presentation at the Zimbabwe Staff College, Vice President Mnangagwa, who is also the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said while the judge made his comment outside a court of law, what is important is whether the payment of spot fines is done in accordance with the law or not.
He said the payment of spot fines was made to ease the administrative processes in the payment of the fines for travelling motorists.
The Vice President said the government is worried about the abuse of authority by some police officers who are demanding bribes saying it requires the participation of all stakeholders to curb the vice.
In his presentation to the officers attending the Joint Command and Staff Course Number 28 at the Zimbabwe Staff College, Vice President Mnangagwa said corruption and fraudulent activities are derailing efforts in achieving goals set out in the new constitution.
The establishment of independent commissions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Prosecuting Authority were deliberate efforts by the country to allow independence in the prosecution of cases.
COMMENTS
Same evasive answer as the Herald. The Herald says the decision of spot fines was “introduced”. By whom? The VP – a lawyer – says the decision was “made”. Again, by whom and how?
NOW THAT THE POLICE IS ABUSING THE SYSTEM THAT WAS DESIGNED TO EASE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS SURELY SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THAT MR VICE PRESIDENT.
WE IMPLORE OUR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT TO RISE UP TO THE OCCURSION AND SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE OPPOSITION PARTIES TO MOBILIZE THEIR SUPPORTER AND DEMONSTRATE AGAINST SUCH MALPRACTICES.
At least the VP unlike Jonso the poisonous viper gave a mature though not emphatic answer.
Mnangagwa is not a practising lawyer, being a minister of justice does not mean that he knows better that practising lawyers.
MR VP Muangagwa please know the facts! We do not have a police force in Zimbabwe, we do have a bunch of thieves who should all be in prison running around in ZRP uniforms harrassing and stealing from us on the roads. These people are about as low life as one could expect and they are a direct representation of your patheti zanupf party that are the roll models for the pathetic over pompus fools who misuse the authority you have given to make zimbabwean citizens a misery, but of course Mr VP you do not have the concience or decency to be ashamed of yourselves because you are all tarred with the same brush.
I am not surprised at all by EDM’s reaction. These guys are there to promote corruption and will not put in a place anything that will stop it because they themselves are corrupt.
How can an administrative process override a constitution? The abuse is by all police and not just some of them. Its unfortunately now the expected behaviour.
Take the name, number and rank of every cop who causes problems not only to motorists, but to the public in general. Report it although nothing will be done. Then, at least when normality comes back to Zimbabwe (and yes, it will), those names will be registered and those corrupt swines will be dealt with.
Comrade VP you have sought to clarify the issue, thank you for that, but will you also consider that what you made has not been abused by a few…it has become institution corruption. The senior officers deploy the juniors onto roads not to collect spot fines but to collect bribes for real and non-existant traffic offences. At the end of the day the money is shared from top to bottom. Some of the roadblocks I have encountered did not have the ticket book or was said to be used up and you can tell what was happening there.
An aspect of governance is to listen and do what is right. Justice Bere echoed the thousands of voices, he did not say his opinion contrary to police spokesperson, pompous empty head prof Jonah and Herald editorial comment. Stop the rot you created in police force, do away with roadside collection of money by police and prosecute any officer that does so. Ndapedza zvangu. Bring proper policing not bribe demanding under the cloak of spot fines.
I see no clarification in EDM’s attempt to explain the story behind the vice called “SPOT FINES”
The cops of yesteryear had their names and force numbers distictively diplayed on their pockets. Nowadays it is actually an exercise in futility to try and get the name and the force numbers of the current police force. At one point I once asked for the name and the force number and I was asked what do you need it for. MAY THE POLICE REINSTATE THIS REQUIREMENT.