Harare traffic cameras record 1.1 million violations
HARARE — More than 1.1 million traffic violations have been detected by newly installed traffic cameras in Harare since the Electronic Traffic Management System went live earlier this year, although no penalties have yet been issued while authorities verify each offence.
Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Ambassador Raphael Faranisi said the verification process was necessary to ensure motorists were not wrongly penalised.
“As of last week, we had recorded about 1,1 million vehicles that had violated traffic laws, and these were recorded on the various traffic cameras installed across the city,” he said.
“However, we are still validating these offences. Probably at the time the violation was committed, the intersection was being controlled by a police officer.
“Then, in some instances, maybe the markings on the road were not clear enough, so those are some of the verifications that we are working on.”
Harare currently has 16 traffic surveillance camera sites, with the system detecting offences including speeding, failure to obey road signs, using mobile phones while driving and not wearing seatbelts. Government plans to install more than 300 cameras before expanding the programme to other cities.
Launching the 2026 Heroes and Defence Forces Holidays Road Safety Campaign, Transport Minister Felix Mhona said human error remains the leading cause of crashes.
“Our theme this time around was informed by the disturbing fact that up to 94 percent of road crashes on our roads in Zimbabwe are a direct result of inappropriate human decisions,” he said. — SundayMail
