Rights group petitions Zinara over vehicle licence penalties

THE Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has written to the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara), advising it not to penalise motorists whose vehicle licences expired during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The human rights body said it was compelled to approach the vehicle licensing authority after one of its members and other motorists were forced to pay a penalty for late vehicle licensing despite not using their vehicles as a result of the lockdown.

In a letter dated May 5, 2020 addressed to Zinara chief executive officer, NGO Forum’s senior projects lawyer, Wilbert Mandinde said the move was illegal.

“On May 4, 2020, our client (Ngonidzashe Taruvinga) approached one of your licensing agencies where he was advised to pay a penalty of $150 for his failure to license his vehicle timeously,” Mandinde wrote.

He said following the declaration of the lockdown by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on March 27, 2020, Zinara consequently closed its entire vehicle licensing centres with effect from March 30.

“As a result, our client was unable to renew his vehicle licence which was to expire on March 31, 2020.

“While you placed an advert in the local media advising of a few places in Harare only where licensing of motor vehicles could happen, non-essential travel was prohibited and travelling for the purposes of licensing one’s vehicle could easily have qualified as such. In any case, so many affected people stay outside Harare.”

Mandinde further said the President extended the lockdown by a further 14 days to May 3, 2020.

Again, their client could still not travel to license his vehicle, but on May 4, 2020, their client approached one of Zinara’s licensing agencies where he was advised to pay a penalty of $150 for failure to license his vehicle timeously.

“In other words, our client and all those in his current situation are being punished for the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

“Our client has noted that reprieve has been granted in other areas including the deferment of rentals for residential properties. He is of the considered opinion that you should not levy any penalties at all for all the people whose vehicle licences expired during the lockdown period,” he said.

“Kindly indicate what action you will take within the next 48 hours, failure of which we are instructed to approach the court on an urgent basis seeking an order to permanently stay the payment of the penalties as stated above.”