Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ruth Maboyi says Zimbabwean drivers should carry cash with them when driving so that they can pay spot fines.
Zimbabwe uses cash, EcoCash and swipe to transact daily. However, when the police are out on roadblocks, they only demand cash.
Cash is usually not readily available as banks have daily withdrawal limits which forces people to rely on plastic money.
Unavailability of cash has created challenges for a lot of drivers when they want to pay fines for traffic offences.
Long back, there used to be a facility where traffic offenders would be allowed to pay the fines later when they get it, but the facility appears to have been scrapped.
This has seen Makoni Central legislator David Tekeshe inquiring on the issue in the National Assembly.
Carry cash with you
Responding to the question, Deputy Minister Ruth Maboyi the government needs the money and people should carry cash with them.
“The Honourable Member is saying that is he not allowed, but the point is that you would have committed an offence. Without an offence, you are not required to pay but if you commit an offence, you have to pay.
‘’If you do not have money, you need to communicate with the police at the roadblock. You cannot run away with that money. We need that money.
‘’I understand the plight. We have little money, but police officers do not have swipe machines. This is one thing that we are going to consider, and they also do not have ecocash because I think it will be so difficult for them.
‘’We understand there is no money but because people are committing crimes, we need to fine them. When we speak about the swipe machines, we will try to discuss as a Ministry but there will be a lot of these machines because the country is so big.
‘’We are appealing to the public to drive and at the same time having cash so that they can pay spot fines if they commit offences,’’ she said.
Deputy Minister: Carry cash so that you can pay spot fines
