Fake drivers’ licence holders under spotlight
ZTN Correspondent
Zimbabwe needs to urgently weed out fake drivers’ licence holders if the country’s efforts to curb road carnage are to bear fruit.
The fight against road accidents took a positive step this week with the launch of the Electronic Learner’s Licence Testing System in Masvingo.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona hailed the project revealing that it’s part of Government efforts to “reduce road accidents by more than 10 percent annually by providing effective driver training and testing…”
However, players involved in the sector warn that although the move is welcome there is need to deal with drivers that are in possession of fake licences.
“We are in the right direction and we commend the Government for moving to address this cancer.
“However, we need to find a way of weeding out the fake drivers who are on our roads, these people have fake licences and are causing mayhem.
“These people are only exposed when they are involved in accidents but surely there must be a way of plucking them out before the unfortunate happens,” said Safety Driver Training chief executive Prosper Dowa.
Dowa added that a “revolution” is taking place as evidenced by the launch of the electronic testing system.
“It’s a technological revolution,” he said.
“At SDT we launched an e-learning system during the Level 5 lockdown last year and the results have been very, very positive.
“When you go digital you eliminate cases where aspiring drivers are damaged by literature that is unverified and misleading.
“We need to move away from a situation where photocopied learner manuals are sold by the street corner.”
Early this week The Herald reported that mobile money fraudsters are now advertising on social media, offering drivers licences for between US$120 and US$200, and to do that within a day, but they simply take the deposit and vanish, without handing over a licence.
One advert posted by the fraudsters reads: “One of the advertisements read: “We will take you all the way from the provisional licence to getting a metal disc, all delivery made within a day and not more than three days for those clients living in and out of Zimbabwe (through Swift, Zimpost, Courier Connect, FedEx, DHL . . . Please note that we only offer original documents, the licences will be in the VID system. In need of a driver’s licence in Zimbabwe, take advantage of this amazing opportunity to get driving licence in no time. It’s simple, fast, reliable and genuine VID deals.”
But this is all a hoax as the licences never come.
Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi warned people against trying to acquire driving licences illegally.
“First and a foremost such issuance of driving licences is illegal. Those people are committing an offence. We also warn people against acquiring fake licences without proper training because it is dangerous to the society. We urge people to report such cases to the police so that the culprits are brought to book,” he said.
