BY WANDILE TSHUMA

In a surprising turn of events, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman, George Charamba, has dismissed a recent directive mandating the removal of tinted windows from vehicles across Zimbabwe, labeling it as lacking legal grounding and urging the public to disregard it.

Charamba, who is currently accompanying the president in China, issued this clarification on Wednesday, distancing Mnangagwa’s office from the controversial announcement made by Tafadzwa Muguti, the Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution.

“Kindly note: There is no basis in fact or law to the accompanying announcement attributed to Secretary Muguti. Kindly ignore this miscommunication from an unauthorized office and officer!” Charamba stated on X, further attaching a video of Muguti.

Muguti’s original directive, announced during a press conference in Harare on Tuesday, required all private and public motorists to “immediately” strip their vehicles of tinted windows due to a purported increase in crime involving obscured vehicles.

The announcement notably exempted government and VIP transport, as well as vehicles manufactured with standard shades of tint.

The directive quickly sparked confusion, as previous laws do not impose an outright ban on tinted windows. Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015 mandates that windows must provide “a clear, undistorted vision” and a “safe degree of visibility,” indicating that there are conditions under which tints are permissible.

Legal experts have raised concerns over the authority and validity of Muguti’s statement, cautioning that the police could engage in unlawful actions if they attempted to enforce the measure. Lawyer Obey Shava emphasized, “Police should be careful not to make costly decisions based on a statement which is not fully supported by the law. Tint is allowed on condition certain requirements are met,” as reported by ZimLive.

BY STAFF REPORTER

In a significant push to empower the youth and encourage community development, Kholwani Mangena, the Chamber Secretary of Victoria Falls City Council, has urged the Junior Council to identify and propose projects they wish to see funded in the 2026 budget.

This call to action was made during a recent budget consultation meeting held at Chinotimba Clinic, where concerns about the lack of support for the Junior Council and local youth from the council’s livelihoods program were raised.

Mangena highlighted an opportunity, revealing that the council has earmarked a piece of land specifically for youth-led initiatives, particularly in agriculture.

“Otherwise, on the other projects you have proposed such as poultry in this coming budget, for 2026, we have earmarked some piece of land so that if you want to do poultry, you can do that,” she stated. Her message was clear: youth and women, as well as people with disabilities, must take the initiative to define their projects and funding needs.

The Secretary brought attention to previous efforts made by the council to support marginalized groups, mentioning, “We gave them a piece of land somewhere about three months ago,” referring to the land allocated for various community projects. She encouraged the Junior Council to be proactive in outlining their desired projects, saying, “Identify your projects. Be clear about the projects that you want to do and the funding. And then we can ask the council to fund those.”

Mangena also offered support for fundraising efforts, suggesting that the council could provide initial funding for activities like a talent show to help raise funds for their proposed initiatives. “Before the end of the year, we can do that. For example, maybe you want to do some fundraising. We can give you the money to start that fundraising,” she continued, emphasizing the importance of grassroots efforts in driving change and development.

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed that the death toll from recent road traffic accidents has tragically escalated to at least 20 individuals in the past few days. This surge in fatalities has raised serious concerns regarding road safety across the nation.

In a statement released today, the ZRP detailed a fatal accident that occurred early this morning at the 246-kilometer peg along the Mutare-Masvingo Road, near Mutendi Complex. A Dragon bus, carrying 20 passengers and traveling from Beitbridge to Mutare, collided with a haulage truck while attempting to overtake. The bus driver swerved back into his lane upon noticing an oncoming vehicle, resulting in a devastating sideswipe that caused timber from the truck to pierce into the bus. Eight people, including the bus driver, died at the scene, and four others were injured in the crash. The injured were transferred to Masvingo General Hospital for treatment.

The ZRP emphasized the alarming trend of road accidents in their statement, noting

that these incidents were predominantly caused by reckless overtaking. “Most of the accidents recorded recently have been due to overtaking errors on the part of drivers,” police officials stated. “We urge all motorists to exercise extreme caution and adhere strictly to traffic regulations.”

This latest accident follows another tragic incident on August 28 involving a Toyota Fortuner GD6 at the 46-kilometer peg along the same road. The vehicle veered off the road and hit a concrete signpost, resulting in four immediate fatalities. This number subsequently rose to six as two more victims succumbed to their injuries after being admitted to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.

Additionally, on August 29, a separate accident on the Harare-Nyamapanda Road claimed the lives of seven family members when a kombi they were traveling in lost control during an overtaking maneuver, resulting in an overturn that killed five instantly and two more in the hospital.