THE Zimbabwe Republic Police says it has launched a nationwide operation targeting vehicles moving on the country’s roads without registration plates, as well as those illegally fitted with sirens, blue lights, bar lights, beacons and other unauthorised gadgets.
According to the police, the operation covers all categories of vehicles — family cars, company, government and public service vehicles.
The law enforcement agency says some motorists are deliberately removing registration plates to evade identification after committing serious offences such as armed robberies, kidnapping, hit-and-run road accidents and a host of traffic violations including driving against the flow of traffic, running red lights and reckless lane change.
Police have also raised concern over public service vehicles removing number plates to avoid follow-up on traffic offences, even after causing accidents.
Equally worrying is the growing number of vehicles fitted with illegal sirens, blue lights and bar lights — devices that are strictly reserved for authorised emergency vehicles.
When such gadgets are abused, they create confusion on the roads, disrupt normal traffic flow and endanger other motorists.
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Bar lights, in particular, have been noted to disturb the vision of other drivers at night, increasing the risk of accidents.
On the face of it, the police have a strong case.
Vehicles without number plates pose a serious security risk.
When crimes are committed, registration plates are often the first and most basic way to identify suspects.
Without them, criminals can easily vanish into traffic.
There has also been a worrying increase in reports of unregistered or unidentified vehicles being used in criminal activities.
For that reason alone, a crackdown is necessary and long overdue.
But if this operation is to be taken seriously, it must start where the problem is most visible — vehicles belonging to the ruling Zanu PF party.
Across the country, it has become a familiar sight: convoys or individual vehicles linked to ruling party moving around without number plates or displaying temporary coverings that make identification impossible.
Some are fitted with flashing lights and sirens despite not being authorised emergency vehicles.
Ordinary motorists see it everyday.
Yet very rarely are such vehicles subjected to the same scrutiny that ordinary citizens encounter at roadblocks.
The perception — fair or not — is that politically-connected individuals operate above the law.
That perception is corrosive.
Law enforcement cannot be selective.
If the police truly want to restore order on Zimbabwe’s roads, the crackdown must apply equally to everyone — regardless of political affiliation or social status.
The rule of law loses meaning the moment it becomes negotiable for those with power.
This is precisely why the police must begin their operation by confronting the most visible offenders, even if they happen to belong to politically influential circles.
Doing so sends an unequivocal message that no one enjoys special treatment on Zimbabwe’s roads.
If vehicles linked to the ruling party are allowed to continue operating without registration plates while ordinary citizens are fined or arrested, the entire exercise will quickly be dismissed as another public relations campaign.
Zimbabweans are not asking for extraordinary enforcement.
They are asking for equal enforcement.
The law must apply to everyone.
The police have an opportunity to demonstrate that principle in practice.
They can show that the campaign is about public safety, not political convenience.
But that credibility begins with a simple step: enforce the law without fear or favour.
Start with the worst culprits.