Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has rolled out body-worn cameras for traffic officers as part of a sweeping modernisation drive aimed at boosting transparency, curbing corruption and improving policing efficiency.
Body-worn cameras (BWCs) are relatively small devices that record interactions between the public, suspects, victims and law enforcement officers.
The video and audio recordings from BWCs can be used by law enforcement to demonstrate transparency to the public, document statements, observations, conduct and other evidence.
It is also meant to deter unprofessional, illegal and inappropriate conduct by both law enforcement and the public.
This is in line with the Smart Traffic Enforcement System that was launched in Harare and Bulawayo a few months ago, which has seen a number of motorists being caught violating road traffic rules, including crossing red robots.
Police, working in collaboration with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), have also announced the use of breathalysers and speed trap cameras on major highways, in a major development that is expected to curb drunken driving and speeding.
The deployment of the high-tech equipment comes ahead of the festive season holidays, when road accidents traditionally increase as a result of high traffic volumes on the roads, alcohol abuse, fatigue and reckless driving.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the latest development, saying the cameras were deployed to all the country’s provinces.
“Yes, the process has started. We have distributed the cameras to all the provinces and it’s the prerogative of the Officer Commanding the province on how those cameras will be distributed in their provinces,” he said.
Comm Nyathi said some police officers have already been trained on how to operate the body cameras.
“I must emphasise though that training is ongoing, there is no specific group of officers that will use these cameras so the process of training is still ongoing,” he added.
The use of body-worn cameras by the police also comes at a time when Parliamentarians have raised concern over the continued presence of unroadworthy public service and private vehicles on the country’s highways, which they said was as a result of some police officers or some officers of other traffic enforcement agencies receiving bribes.
Presenting a report in Parliament last month on road carnage, Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development chairperson, Tawanda Karikoga, said the committee, during its inquiry on causes of road carnages, noted with concern the continued reports of bribery at roadblocks.
“This practice has led to unroadworthy vehicles passing through the police manned roadblocks, with some resulting in serious accidents after passing through these roadblocks, said Cde Karikoga.
He revealed that road traffic accidents are the third leading cause of death after HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Zimbabwe and on average, more than 2 000 people die annually, while over 30 000 are injured, many of whom suffer lifelong disabilities.
“The impact of road accidents extends beyond human suffering. The economic costs, including healthcare expenditures, loss of productivity, vehicle damage and infrastructure repair are estimated to be three percent of Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually. Ending road carnages is, therefore, both a developmental and humanitarian priority,” Cde Karikoga said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona has said ambulances will be deployed to all known black spots across the country, before, during and after festive holidays so as to render quick assistance to victims in the unfortunate event of an accident.
Speaking in Bulawayo during the Ministry’s Eighth (Second 2025) Session of the ‘Line Minister’s Public Entities Corporate Governance Oversight meeting recently, Minister Mhona said while priority remains avoiding accidents, quick medical assistance to accident victims was equally critical.
“The black spots are known, as we get into the festive season, you will start seeing ambulances stationed in these areas but of course the top priority is not to have these accidents,” he said.
