Zacc camps at CVR

THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has deployed its officers to "camp" at the Central Vehicle Registry offices around the country to conduct investigations over the corrupt issuing of number plates and other matters.

This comes as the Government has made provisions to ensure that the country has enough number plates for the whole of 2022. The CVR is targeting to issue 1 500 license plates per week.

In an interview, Zacc public relations officer Mr Chamunorwa Murava said Zacc is eager to eradicate all forms of corruption at CVR.

"The Zacc Compliance and System Review team is on the ground doing rapid compliance checks at the Central Vehicle Registry department. The exercise is thorough in light of the public outcry. This process will help us come up with viable recommendations that will improve efficiency at the department. Once the exercise is complete, we will issue a statement on the findings and recommendations."

Speaking to The Sunday Mail, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development Engineer Amos Amos said additional materials for the production of number plates will be availed in March to ensure that there is enough supply for the whole year.

"So far 7 759 number plates in total have been issued, the CVR has issued 3 492, Zimra 1 680 and Zimpost 2 587. We are targeting 1,500 per week until April 2022 when plate material stocks are exhausted. We are ordering more material in March 2022 to cover the remainder of the year," he said.

Eng Amos said the issuing of number plates had been decentralised to allow for smooth distribution.

Prior to the enhanced supply of number plates, corruption had permeated the CVR, causing unnecessary delays in the issuing of the plates, with workers demanding bribes.

Eng Amos said workforce adjustments were being made at CVR to deal with corruption.

"Integrity is inevitable in order to inculcate good work ethics and eradicate corruption. Inevitably this involves staff movement and upgrading some processes. This is currently ongoing," he said.

In the past few weeks, the CVR had intensified dispensing of the number plates, concurrent with an ongoing police blitz against unregistered vehicles. As of Friday, police had made about 20 000 arrests targeting unlicensed and unregistered motor vehicles. About 8 000 number plates have been issued since January 15, when the police blitz started.