In his Notice of Opposition to an application by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) filed at the Bulawayo High Court last month seeking an order barring the police from demanding spot fines and impounding vehicles which the civil society organisation said was unconstitutional, Police Commissioner General, Augustine Chihuri denied that police officers force motorists to pay spot fines or impound vehicles.
Chihuri who was cited as the first defendant while Minister of Home Affairs Ignatius Chombo is the second defendant, said that police always give traffic offenders an option to pay or not to pay spot fines and that they do not insist as alleged by TIZ. Said Chihuri:
In enforcing traffic laws the police are guided by the laws, rules and regulations.The police doesn’t compel motorists to pay fines on the spot. Only traffic offenders who have committed an offence and who have admitted doing so and are willing to pay spot fines have an option to pay the fine on spot. For record the police don’t compel motorists to pay spot fines but motorists opt to pay fines freely and voluntarily without any form of pressure having been exerted on them.
He also denied that police were impounding vehicles or seizing drivers’ licences from motorists who fail or refuse to pay spot fines.
More: Chronicle
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