Zimbabwe’s Road Crisis, Part II: Policy Pathways to Safer Roads

Zimbabwe’s Road Crisis, Part II: Policy Pathways to Safer Roads

1. Introduction

In our previous conversation, we noted that Zimbabwe’s road safety challenges go beyond just negligent driving, indicating a failure in both the social contract and the enforcement system. We discussed how technologies such as drone surveillance could reduce corruption and ensure that repeat violators face consequences, as detailed on LinkedIn.com, along with the necessity for a shift in driving culture. Since that time, authorities have enacted new strategies, particularly the use of police drones in the heavily trafficked Central Business District (CBD) of Harare to monitor and document traffic offences in real-time. This aerial oversight is part of a comprehensive Electronic Traffic Management System (ETMS) designed to restore order amid increasing urban congestion. Although these technological advancements show promise, drones and cameras alone will not solve Zimbabwe’s road crisis. A series of lingering infrastructure deficits and governance challenges continues to compromise road safety and the efficacy of enforcement. This policy-focused brief expands on the earlier discussion, aiming to highlight practical reforms such as enhancing road markings and signals, digitising ticketing processes, and fighting corruption, which are crucial priorities for Zimbabwean policymakers.

2. The State of Enforcement Tech

Policymakers should recognise the advancements achieved in modernising traffic enforcement while simultaneously addressing its existing shortcomings. The ETMS pilot program in Harare has introduced automated surveillance cameras and license plate recognition to identify offenders, as reported by The Herald. In the initial weeks of operation, the cameras recorded 290 violations, including instances of drivers running red lights, driving against the flow of traffic, operating without number plates, or even mounting curbs. Moreover, drones extend this digital surveillance capability, detecting infractions up to a 20- kilometre radius from the city centre. Significantly, these systems minimise direct interactions between police and drivers, thereby reducing opportunities for on-the-spot bribery. However, the efficacy of enforcement technology depends on its effective implementation. Many citizens of Zimbabwe recall that not long ago, some automated speed traps were introduced, only to become nonfunctional shortly thereafter. As one commentator lamented, “Whatever happened to the speed cameras that were set up on major roads… we allowed the automated cameras to die prematurely. " This situation illustrates that merely deploying equipment is insufficient, ongoing maintenance, calibration, and consistent usage are vital. Policymakers should ensure that every installed speed or CCTV camera remains operational, supported by regular audits and technical assistance. The new ETMS is reportedly integrated with agencies such as ZINARA and the Vehicle Registry to monitor offenders, which is a commendable advancement. Nonetheless, police representatives acknowledge that operational challenges persist, ranging from technical glitches to the integration of new systems with existing law enforcement procedures, according to heraldonline.co.zw. Addressing these challenges, through enhanced training, technical partnerships, and funding for system maintenance, should be prioritised as Zimbabwe escalates its electronic enforcement initiatives.

3. Infrastructure Failures Undermining Road Safety

Figure: A traffic light at a Harare intersection (Sam Nujoma Street)

Source 1:thezimbabwean.co.

Notes: A non-functional traffic light at a Harare intersection (Sam Nujoma Street) stands dark, forcing drivers to navigate by guesswork. Over 30% of signalised intersections in Harare’s CBD are not working, due to power outages, vandalism, or faulty equipment.

Modern traffic cameras and drones cannot offset the decline of Zimbabwe’s road infrastructure. The basic road conditions, including signage, markings, signals, and surfaces, are in disarray, complicating navigation and enforcement.

Numerous roads lack distinct lane markings and edge lines. Years of neglect have rendered roads poorly marked with lane paint faded to the point of invisibility. Without visible lines, drivers often genuinely struggle to distinguish between traffic boundaries or identify where lanes separate. They may still face fines for straddling lanes or travelling the wrong way, contributing to a perception of unfairness. A Policy solution would be to initiate an urgent program to repaint and replace road markings nationwide. Establishing clear centre lines, lane markings, arrows, and stop lines at intersections is essential for both safe driving and fair enforcement. Additionally, install adequate signage, such as one-way signs and speed limit signs, especially where new enforcement measures like speed cameras or one-way designs are introduced. Drivers should never be guessing the rules of the road.

In urban areas, malfunctioning or inconsistent traffic lights, often referred to as “robots,” create chaos. As of May 2025, the City of Harare indicated that only 48 of the 69 signalised intersections in the central business district were working, reflecting that 31% of traffic lights are non-functional. Some signals have faulty controllers or have been vandalised, while others have remained unlit for weeks due to the frequent power outages prevalent during load-shedding. Accidents have risen at certain intersections, as drivers must independently navigate the right-of-way. While police cameras may catch someone running a red light, what happens when the signal is off or flashing? This uncertainty leads to ongoing conflicts. We urge policymakers to prioritise the swift repair or replacement of all non-operational traffic lights. This should include investments in solar-powered or battery-backed signals to lessen reliance on the grid. When road upgrades or dualisation projects eliminate signals, contractors must ensure the prompt reinstallation of these signals. Meanwhile, deploy trained traffic police or wardens to control traffic at major intersections during peak hours manually. A well-functioning traffic signal network is essential, not a luxury, for maintaining orderly traffic flow and enabling automated systems to function effectively.

Outside urban centres, many roads and roadside edges have deteriorated into dirt paths, producing thick clouds of dust during dry spells. In drought conditions, excessive dust can create road hazards by significantly reducing visibility. This can lead to accidents as drivers are unable to see obstacles or oncoming vehicles, and it can hinder traffic cameras or drones from clearly capturing violations through a dusty haze. Additionally, street lighting on many roads is inadequate, making nighttime driving perilous. We urge the inclusion of road surface improvements in the strategy, sealing or grading the most heavily trafficked dirt stretches, and regularly watering down dusty detours or construction zones to minimise dust. Furthermore, enhance street lighting in high-traffic areas. Meanwhile, adjust enforcement expectations, such as speed limits in low-visibility conditions, and equip drones and cameras with appropriate night-vision or filtering technology where feasible.

Zimbabwe’s pothole crisis extends beyond mere discomfort; it signifies a safety emergency. Large potholes compel drivers to swerve and brake unexpectedly, creating a risk of collisions. Avoiding craters often forces vehicles into oncoming lanes or off the road entirely. Public transport operators express frustration, stating, "roads in Zimbabwe are now useless... All roads are full of potholes. We are not the ones causing deaths or accidents... it is the police pursuing motorists that cause accidents because we will be on these bad roads." While this viewpoint may be self-serving, it contains some truth: a driver focused on avoiding potholes is less likely to obey all traffic laws, and high-speed chases on pothole-strewn streets are inherently dangerous. We need to significantly expand road rehabilitation programmes aimed at pothole repair and resurfacing. Allocating a portion of traffic fine revenues directly to a Road Fund for maintenance could lead to visible improvements in road conditions, thereby enhancing public willingness to adhere to rules and strengthening the social contract. Until roads are repaired, enforcement should acknowledge that certain violations, like straddling lanes or reduced speeds, are often coping mechanisms for dealing with road hazards. Address the risks, and the resultant impaired driving will diminish.

4. Modernising Traffic Enforcement: From E-Tickets to Accountability

Technology offers an opportunity not only to catch offenders, but to streamline and improve transparency in how violations are handled. Zimbabwe’s current traffic enforcement still involves numerous human touchpoints and paperwork, providing fertile ground for disputes and corruption. To truly reform the system, policymakers should pursue some of the following:

E-Ticketing and digital fine payments. Rather than relying on motorists to voluntarily come forward after being caught on camera, the system should proactively issue and deliver citations. In 2022, the government previewed a Smart Traffic Management System that would send an instant ticket via mobile phone to the vehicle owner when a violation is recorded. That vision needs to be realised. Each offence captured by ETMS should generate a unique electronic ticket with details of the violation date, time, location, offence type and the fine amount. This can be sent by SMS and email and logged in an online portal. Offenders could then pay securely via mobile money or bank transfer, rather than queuing at a police station. Not only does this reduce face-to-face interactions and thus opportunities for bribes or negotiations, but it also creates a digital paper trail for all fines. Automated reminders can be sent as deadlines approach.

Link fines to vehicle registration or license renewal to close the loophole of ignored tickets. Zimbabwe can adopt a policy like that used in many countries, which requires the clearing of outstanding traffic fines as a condition for renewing one’s vehicle license disc. The groundwork is already being laid, officials have spoken of linking vehicle data with personal IDs and even bank details, such that penalties are automatically enforced. Plans were announced to directly deduct fines from offenders’ bank accounts once an electronic violation is recorded. Whether via automatic deduction or renewal block, the principle is the same: no more dodging fines. If a motorist has unpaid violations, they should not be able to renew their car registration or ZINARA license. This creates a powerful incentive for compliance. It also shifts enforcement of payment from police officers on the road to an administrative process, thereby cutting down roadside bribery. Policymakers will need to ensure that legal frameworks are updated to allow such measures, clearly defining due process and providing notice to the offender. However, the 2024 parliamentary discussion indicates that this is already being considered as policy.

Enhancing public communication and transparency, which is a significant theme in the public pushback against new enforcement tools, represents a central issue of mistrust. Authorities must maintain transparency and fairness in their implementation of these systems. When a ticket is issued, the offence should be communicated. The language used on tickets or summons should be straightforward; for instance, "Disobeying a red traffic light at intersection X," rather than merely citing a statute number. Ideally, it is advisable to include a reference number or link that allows motorists to access evidence, such as a photograph or a brief video clip of the incident. This level of openness will help mitigate confusion. Too frequently, citizens express dissatisfaction over fines due to insufficient signage or unclear offences. Proactively addressing these concerns through enhanced signage, as previously noted, and clear communication can alter public opinion in favour of enforcement. Furthermore, officials should regularly publicise the allocation of fine revenues; for instance, during this quarter, $X of fines were directly allocated to repairing 100 potholes and repainting 50 kilometres of road markings. When individuals observe that penalties contribute to improvements, they are more likely to accept them.

It is important to note that not all tickets will be paid without contest, and citizens possess the right to dispute them. Currently, contesting a traffic fine frequently entails a protracted court process, which numerous individuals tend to avoid. To promote justice and accountability, Zimbabwe should consider establishing a streamlined tribunal specifically for traffic violations or designating magistrate court days exclusively for the adjudication of traffic cases, and implementing procedures tailored to accommodate video evidence. Importantly, when a case is brought before the court, the burden of proof rests on the State to establish the offence beyond a reasonable doubt, as is the standard in any criminal matter. This necessitates that the magistrate review the actual footage or photographic evidence of the alleged infraction. It is insufficient for an officer to merely state, “the camera caught you running a red light”; the prosecution must present the timestamped video, compelling the magistrate to observe the vehicle entering the intersection while the signal is red. In other jurisdictions that employ automated enforcement, courtrooms are furnished with screens to fulfil this function. Zimbabwe should implement similar measures to ensure fairness is upheld. Fortunately, the police are already digitally recording infractions from all possible angles and maintaining those records; such records should be made readily accessible for review during disputes. By adopting evidence-based adjudication, the courts will foster public trust, demonstrating that the new enforcement is aimed at safety rather than extortion. To further alleviate bottlenecks, minor violations could be decriminalised into civil infractions, permitting administrative adjudication, for instance, by an appeals committee instead of full court trials, albeit with the option to escalate to magistrates for serious offences.

Accompanying the advancement of digital systems is the necessity to phase out cumbersome paper-based processes. The current enforcement regime reportedly entails an excessive amount of paperwork, including multiple forms for fines, physical traffic citation books, and manual data entry, which significantly hinders efficiency. Transitioning to an electronic platform would enable the automation of many of these tasks. Policymakers should support the Zimbabwe Republic Police in implementing an Electronic Traffic Management back-end that records violations, payments, and contestations within a single database. This advancement implies that an officer or clerk will no longer need to manage numerous stacks of papers to ascertain whether the owner of vehicle ABC 123 has fulfilled their financial obligations; such information will be readily accessible within the system. Additionally, this transition will substantially reduce the administrative burden and decrease the likelihood of files being misplaced or manipulated. Interagency connections must be strengthened to facilitate the real-time sharing of pertinent data among the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zinara, the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), and the courts. For instance, when an individual pays a fine through a mobile application, the system should automatically indicate that the payment has been completed and update the vehicle’s record at the CVR, thus eliminating the necessity for the driver to retain a physical receipt for future reference. Adopting these efficiencies will not only enhance the effectiveness of enforcement measures but also improve the overall efficiency of the system. Still, it will also allocate police resources towards addressing serious road infractions such as driving under the influence and reckless driving, rather than engaging in clerical duties.

5. Rebuilding Public Transport and Curbing Corruption

Technology and infrastructure upgrades will go a long way, but two deeper issues remain, the collapse of formal public transport and persistent corruption in traffic enforcement. These feed into each other and exacerbate the road crisis.

Addressing the issue of “mushika shika” comprehensively. Informal pirate taxis, locally referred to as mushika shika, have emerged as both a symptom and a contributing factor to the disarray on the roads. They occupy a void created by an insufficient public transportation system; however, they operate in perilous and unlawful manners, exemplified by speeding, overloading, arbitrary stopping, and routinely engaging in elusive pursuits with law enforcement. Recent enforcement initiatives, such as operation “No to Mushikashika,” resulted in the arrest of thousands and the impounding of numerous vehicles; nevertheless, these measures have historically demonstrated a tendency to lose momentum. The underlying reason for this is the sustained demand for these services. Analysts have observed that the mushika shika phenomenon surged following the government's prohibition of commuter omnibuses (kombis) around 2020, a move aimed at establishing a monopoly through the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) without the corresponding capacity to accommodate the commuting populace. ZUPCO did not possess an adequate number of buses, thereby leaving commuters stranded and in dire need, an opportunity that illegal operators were quick to exploit. Even after the prohibition was revoked, the situation had already matured: pirate transportation had firmly entrenched itself with well-organised teams of touts and persistent demand. A proposed policy solution is to recognise that enhancing public transport infrastructure constitutes a vital element of road safety strategy. The government must allocate resources towards the procurement of more reliable buses, commuter trains, and licensed kombis while permitting them to function with sufficient coverage and frequency. Recent initiatives aimed at liberalising the sector and engaging private kombis under the ZUPCO framework represent progress; however, additional measures are necessary to normalise public transportation. By augmenting the availability of affordable and safe transit options, the market for illegal taxis will naturally diminish. Furthermore, it is essential to reimagine city transport plans by establishing designated loading zones and terminals to prevent buses and kombis from congesting streets, and to implement adherence to timetables to ensure passengers are not left waiting indefinitely, an eventuality that often drives them to the first available public transport that appears. In summary, it is essential to facilitate legal transport options, making them more accessible than illegal alternatives.

Lastly, winning the war on reckless driving requires bringing the public along. Many drivers currently feel alienated, as they perceive enforcement as hostile and one-sided. This must change. The police should step up public awareness campaigns about the new systems: how do speed cameras and drones work? What are the most common offences being caught? How can drivers check if they have an outstanding fine? Educate motorists about the rules of the road that seem commonly violated, for instance, proper roundabout navigation, and the meaning of road markings once repainted. There is evidence that some violations stem from ignorance or bad habits that can be corrected through education, rather than just punishment. Involving citizen groups in road safety initiatives can also rebuild trust. When citizens see authorities fixing infrastructure and acting reasonably, and authorities see citizens obeying rules and driving responsibly, a virtuous cycle can begin.

6. Recommendations and Conclusion

Zimbabwe's initiative to implement drones and advanced traffic management systems represents a commendable advancement towards reinstating order on its roadways. Nevertheless, the incorporation of such technology should be part of a comprehensive and coordinated approach that addresses the enduring infrastructural, legal, and governance deficiencies.

Initially, there is an urgent need for investment in fundamental infrastructure, which includes repainting road markings, rehabilitating traffic signals with integrated solar energy backups, repairing potholes, and enhancing signage. In the absence of these improvements, enforcement efforts will remain ineffective and inequitable. The deployment of technology should proceed in a strategically scaled manner. Surveillance cameras, drones, and speed traps must be appropriately maintained, integrated with legal frameworks, and expanded methodically based on empirical evidence gathered from existing pilot programs.

The digitisation of enforcement is critical. The introduction of electronic ticketing, direct mobile notifications, and digital payment modalities may significantly mitigate instances of bribery and streamline compliance processes. Additionally, linking unpaid fines to license or vehicle renewal options or facilitating automatic deductions from bank accounts would effectively close existing loopholes. It is imperative that legal statutes be updated to permit the use of video evidence in judicial proceedings, with established protocols necessitating that magistrates review such footage in contentious cases. Upholding due process is vital for preserving public confidence.

Furthermore, the crisis surrounding public transportation warrants immediate attention. Investment in dependable bus systems and formal transportation operators will diminish dependency on illegal alternatives and alleviate congestion. To address corruption, the implementation of stricter penalties, officer rotation, and the reinvestment of revenue generated from fines into enforcement capabilities are essential. Modernisation of public reporting channels, including WhatsApp hotlines, and the protection of whistleblowers are also crucial measures.

Ultimately, transparency must be a foundational element of all reform initiatives. The government ought to regularly disseminate data pertaining to violations, improvements, and outcomes to demonstrate progress and enhance credibility. Zimbabwe finds itself at a critical juncture. To advance effectively, policymakers must align innovative technology with astute governance, ensuring that each journey on its roads is safer, more equitable, and devoid of corruption.

Disclaimer:
This blog is intended for informational and analytical purposes only. It draws on public sources, policy discussions, and expert commentary to explore Zimbabwe’s road safety and traffic management landscape. The views expressed are those of the author and do not constitute official government policy, legal advice, or professional recommendations. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, this article should not be relied upon as a substitute for official transport regulations, legal interpretation, or infrastructure investment guidance.