The Zimbabwe Republic Police have over the past three days impounded 118 unregistered vehicles in Harare alone, in an operation codenamed “Operation Name Tag”, targeting vehicles without number plates.
The operation started Friday last week and is an ongoing exercise, according to the police.
The impounded vehicles are being held at Support Unit headquarters in Chikurubi. Police said the crackdown had been necessitated by an increase in armed robberies in which unregistered vehicles were used as criminals pounced on unsuspecting citizens.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector James Sabau said many cars were getting into the country through irregular means and the vehicles could not be registered in the country.
“These cars are sold at very cheap prices and many unsuspecting buyers have lost their hard-earned money through this,” Sabau said.
He said any person who wished to drive an unregistered vehicle should acquire a temporary registration card at the port of entry into the country.
“Section 18 of the Vehicle Registration Act chapter 13/14 says no vehicle shall be driven on any road in Zimbabwe unless it is registered. If a vehicle is going to be used for a single return journey within a period of 14 days, it must have a temporary identification plate applied for at the port of entry. Section six of the same Act states that it is the responsibility of the owner of that vehicle to have it registered and licensed,” he said.
To recover an impounded vehicle one would have to have it registered, licensed and then pay a fine of $20.
