Zanu-PF warns motorists driving cars with fake 'ED PFEE' plates

Zanu-PF has warned party members to stop abusing Zanu-PF emblems and the name of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and violate road rules and regulations in the name of the ruling party.

The Zanu-PF VVIP stickers are usually placed on car windscreens at party conferences and events for easy identification of the party's top leadership but are being abused across the country.

An investigation by NewZimbabwe.com this week revealed the party's low-ranking officials, and other ordinary members of the public are taking advantage of these stickers to avoid paying tollgate fees and evading police roadblocks.

Some motorists are even inserting dummy number plates inscribed; "Zanu-PF" or "ED-PFEE" and party scarves on vehicle dashboards.

However, Zanu-PF information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi Tuesday warned the errant motorists.

"As a matter of policy, putting on party regalia or use of it is not a license to intimidate or escape policy issues. However, the use of regalia demonstrates their love for the party, but we warn them from abusing such because it is against the party policy," he told NewZimbabwe.com.

Mugwadi added the stickers were not above board since they were only valid during party events.

"Stickers written VVIP are not above board and they are not for ordinary members of the party or members of the public. They are specifically used for Politburo members and people take advantage of them when they are produced during the conference. Those illicitly producing those stickers must stop that forthwith."

The stickers are mostly plastered on top-of-the-range vehicles to intimidate law enforcement agencies, evade police searches.

However, the abuse of the stickers and vehicle number plates was castigated by the opposition MDC Alliance describing it as an abuse of power by the ruling party.

MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Ostallos Siziba told NewZimbabwe.com Zanu-PF supporters were abusing power and using state institutions to break the law.

"This is a clear area of abuse of state institutions by Zanu-PF. They want to take state institutions and make them agents and drivers of Zanu-PF programmes. That is why you see someone escaping a roadblock, and escaping the full wrath of the law because they are members of Zanu-PF," he said.

"This was started by Chief Justice Luke Malaba who gave Mnangagwa a constitutional duty of being President without the political and popular mandate. So Zanu-PF members have seen that if our president is fake, why can't they fake it and escape justice in this country."