Harare – The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) has issued a stark warning to half a million vehicle owners, threatening to de-register their vehicles if outstanding licensing fees remain unpaid.
This significant move, announced in a recent notice, targets vehicles that have been unlicensed or unexempted for over two years. The deadline for compliance is fast approaching: 22 December 2024.
The notice, issued by ZINARA, leaves no room for ambiguity: “All are advised of the impending deregistration of motor vehicles that have neither been licensed nor exempted for a period of more than two years. This exercise is in terms of section 12c of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act [Chapter 13:14], that empowers the Registrar of Vehicles to cancel the registration of vehicles not licensed and exempted for a period exceeding two years.”
The notice further directs affected motorists to the Central Vehicle Registry to regularise their vehicle status or to ZINARA to settle outstanding arrears.
“Deadline for motorists to regularize their vehicles is set for the 22nd of December 2024, after which deregistration of non-compliant vehicles will be undertaken,” the notice concludes.
This decisive action appears to be a key component of the government’s broader strategy to bolster its financial resources. The scale of the problem is substantial. As ZINARA chief executive officer Mr Nkosinathi Ncube revealed in February this year, only 60 percent of the estimated 1.2 million registered vehicles in Zimbabwe are currently compliant with licensing regulations.
This translates to approximately 800,000 licensed vehicles, leaving a significant gap of 400,000 unlicensed vehicles. The current initiative aims to address this shortfall and bring a substantial number of these vehicles into compliance.
Mr Ncube’s operational overview for 2023 provides further context. He reported that between 135,000 and 150,000 vehicles were licensed monthly throughout last year. Despite this, the number of unlicensed vehicles remains a considerable concern. The revenue generated by ZINARA in 2023 underscores the importance of licensing fees. Gross road fees collections totalled $868 million, exceeding the budget by 13 percent.
Licensing fees contributed a significant 34 percent to this total, up from 30 percent in 2022. Toll fees contributed 38 percent, fuel levies 15 percent, and transit fees 11 percent. Overall, traffic volumes across ZINARA’s revenue streams demonstrated a seven percent increase compared to the previous year.
