NEW: Zimbabwe hits 400 000 number plate milestone

This warning has been given in the past, with little effect. This time the police need to carry it through and the vehicles need to be impounded until the owner or approved agent turns up with the registration sheet for the vehicle, plus currency insurance and current licence, plus a set of number plates that can be fitted then there.

Zimpapers Correspondent

MORE than 400 000 vehicle number plates have been produced since local manufacture began four years ago, representing a major milestone in the Government’s import-substitution drive.

The official cost of standard vehicle number plates has since been reduced from US$500 to just US$50, with the authorities now eyeing the export market.

The police have also intensified their blitz against vehicles without number plates.

The modern production plant, operated by Transtech Solutions Private Limited, is a collaborative initiative between local institutions of higher learning.

The project marks a major milestone for the Second Republic’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model, which emphasises import substitution and industrialisation.

University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo confirmed that the plant — housed in a converted campus hall previously used for mining equipment — has transitioned into a fully fledged commercial venture.

“We have done 400 000 plates for the country. And we are now the official supplier of number plates, and things are running well,” Prof Mapfumo said.

“We are producing the number plates as per order per CVR (Central Vehicle Registry), and it’s a unique product we are offering in partnership with other institutions in higher education in the country.”

The plant is expanding its footprint to include the broader transport technology value chain.