A jungle of anonymous vehicles

Tendai Chara
“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the Zimbabwe National Road Administration and the Central Vehicle Registry would like to inform the motoring public that all vehicles that have not been licensed for a period exceeding two years will be de-registered from the CVR registry,” reads part of a statement that was released to the media last year.

A year later, a similar statement is being issued by the same ministry, advising unlicensed vehicle owners that the law will come down hard on them this time around.

The statement makes it clear that owners of unregistered vehicles risk losing them to Government while those that have not been licensed for more than two years risk being de-registered.

Once de-registered, re-registration of a vehicle would attract a registration fee of $160, a police clearance and the settlement of licence arrears.
The de-registration exercise is being carried out in terms of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act.

During the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of vehicles that are both unregistered and unlicensed. In 2014, the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara) estimated that close to 200 000 vehicles were not registered.

Of the country’s estimated 1,2 million vehicles, Zinara estimates that 500 000 vehicles are not registered.
According to Zinara, most of the unregistered vehicles are those that were distributed to various Government departments by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe during the farm mechanisation programme. Some of the vehicles that were issued to Members of Parliament are among those that are not registered.

Former Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Dr Obert Mpofu had to make an appeal in Cabinet, pleading with various Government departments to have their vehicles registered.

The actual number of unregistered vehicles has, however, remained a subject of debate. Stakeholders in the transport sector are divided on the number of unregistered vehicles, with some claiming that the figures are much lower.

On the contrary, others maintain that the number of unregistered is much higher than the Zinara estimates.
In light of the many roadblocks and tollgates that are mounted on the country’s road network, questions have been asked regarding the possibility of the vehicles being driven around without being confiscated.

A snap survey conducted by this paper revealed that the number of unregistered vehicles might actually be higher than the Zinara estimates. With Zinara focusing mainly on vehicles that are owned by Government departments and Members of Parliament, hundreds of thousands of privately owned unregistered vehicles are using the country’s road network.

Since the owners of the unregistered vehicles have devised ways of avoiding both the roadblocks and tollgates, it is difficult for Zinara to track the unregistered vehicles and coming up with a correct figure.

Throughout the country, unregistered vehicles are being used as pirate taxis and operates in areas where roadblocks are rarely mounted.
Rural and farming communities, growth points and mines are mainly serviced by unregistered vehicles.

The majority of the vehicles are not roadworthy, hence the drivers ply minor roads in efforts to avoid police roadblocks. In most parts of the country, unregistered vehicles can be seen ferrying people to areas that are shunned by buses and registered commuter omnibuses.

The majority of the commuter omnibuses that are deemed unfit always end up servicing the routes that registered and certified fit commuter omnibuses would not ply.

For the past 10 years, Elphas Chipatarongo, who resides at Casa, a settlement which is located on the Harare/Bulawayo highway near Norton, has been using his ramshackle and unregistered pick-up truck to ferry people from surrounding areas to and from the Bulawayo highway.
On a good day, he says he can take home as much as $60.

“I used to be a fishmonger but now I am into the transport business. I bought this vehicle using the money that I realised from fishing. Driving is far much better than fishing,” Chipatarongo said.

Asked whether he was going to register his vehicle in line with the Government directive, he said there was no need for his vehicle to be registered.

“Registering my car? What for?
You will never see my car on the major roads. Besides, roadblocks are never mounted in these dusty roads,” Chipatarongo said.
Some of the unregistered vehicles operate as taxis outside nightclubs and shopping malls.

In Harare, the majority of the vehicles that service the Machipisa/Glen Norah route, among other routes, are old, unregistered small cars.
Even the famed Peugeuot 404s, which used to transport urban dwellers during the late 80s and early 90s are still visible in some parts of the country’s roads.

The majority of the trucks that are used to transport bricks and sand are not registered.
Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators secretary-general, Mr Ngoni Katsvairo, blames the lack of proper law enforcement for the presence of unregistered vehicles on the roads.

“There is a lack of proper traffic enforcement. For instance, commuter omnibus are allowed by law to carry only 15 passengers.
However, such vehicles pass through several road blocks whilst carrying 18 or more passengers. Similarly, unlicensed vehicles pass through road blocks on a daily basis,” Mr Katsvairo said.

Mr Katsvairo called for the introduction of “tough” laws that will deal with the scourge of unregistered vehicles.
“The best way of dealing with unregistered vehicles is to simply impound them. The owners must only be handed back their cars after they have met all the requirements. Heavy fines must be introduced, otherwise this problem will never be solved,” added Mr Katsvairo.