Chronicle Editor
Freeman Razemba, Harare Bureau
The number of vehicles registered in Zimbabwe this year rose by 34 percent while driver’s licences processed went up by 12 percent compared to last year, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza has said.
In a speech read on his behalf by his Deputy Advocate Fortune Chasi during the Eighth Annual CVR Workers of the Year Awards celebrations and end-of Year Christmas party in Harare yesterday, Minister Matiza said he was happy that the CVR’s performance was improving every year.
“During the course of this year, the department managed to produce 91 878 metal driver’s licences against a target of 80 000 and it registered 113 267 vehicles against a target of 70 000 vehicles.
“Driver’s licence production rose by about 12 percent over last year’s performance where it produced 82 058 driver’s licences while the number of registered vehicles went up by about 34 percent from 84 674 for last year,” Minister Matiza said.
He hailed contract workers for making a significant contribution to improving productivity at the CRV. “However, I am concerned about the backlog on driver’s licences and the waiting period of five months before one can get his or her driver’s licence. It is therefore important to urgently implement the Zimbabwe Transport Management Information System (ZIMTIS).
“We have great faith in this massive computerisation programme, which in some circles is regarded as a game changer that fits in well with Vision 2030 and anchored on the Transitional Stablisation Programme (TSP) 2018-2020. It remains my hope and belief that everyone will redouble their efforts to bring about the desired change for the benefit of our clients,” he said.
Minister Matiza urged CVR employees to embrace change and to develop an appetite to serve the people with a new sense of urgency and professionalism.
He urged them to shun, prevent and eliminate corruption in any form at their workplaces. He challenged managers and supervisors to take a leading role in the fight by setting up effective internal risk management controls.
“There should be constant background checks on new workers, instituting work place surveillances using modern techniques and technologies, religiously conducting regular audits, establishing fraud policies, exercising zero tolerance, encouraging ethics training for staff as well as working towards the development and adoption of a code of conduct for employees,” Minister Matiza said.
He said effective strategies must be explored during the coming year to ensure that data inconsistences that were associated with CVR’s vehicle registration and Zinara’s databases are fully addressed and the two vehicle databases synchronised by the end of next year.
A total of 17 CVR officers received awards for excelling in their jobs.
The event was attended by the ministry’s director for transport development and management Dr Johannes Pedzapasi, CVR Registrar Mr George Makoni and senior Government and CVR officials.
derick.khumalo