Press Statement on the Blitz on unregistered vehicles by Hon F.T Mhona

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE BLITZ ON UNREGISTERED VEHICLES BY THE HON MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT; F.T. MHONA (MP): 17 JANUARY 2021

 

  1. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development note the current blitz on unregistered vehicles by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. The Ministry is in full support of the blitz by law enforcement agencies following prior warnings to the public to register their vehicles.
  2. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development would like to inform motorists and the nation at large that the country has adequate number plates in stock and these are issued by the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) and its agencies namely ZIMRA and ZIMPOST.
  3. The public is advised that initial vehicle registration and change of ownership can be done at CVR or its agencies.
  4. The country has the following number plates in stock that meet the current demand;

 

Agency Number Plates in stock
ZIMPOST 5 498
ZIMRA 5 985
CVR 700

 

  1. Currently ZIMPOST stations issuing out number plates are; Causeway, Southerton, Chitungwiza and Bulawayo.
  2. ZIMPOST Mutare main, Rusape, Bindura, Marondera, Chinhoyi, Masvingo, Victoria Falls and Hwange will commence the issuance of number plates on 18 January 2022.

 

  • For ZIMRA the issuance of number plates is being done at Kurima House (Harare), Masvingo, Victoria Falls, Bualwayo, Gweru, Mutare and Beitbridge
  1. The Ministry would like to assure the nation that another batch of twenty five thousand (25 000) number plates will be available from 27 January 2022 adding to the current stocks to meet the demand.
  2. The Ministry notes that a number of car dealers are not registering motor vehicles on import which they then sell unregistered to clients. This is against the law as a motor vehicle is required to be registered upon entry in the name of the car dealer. Exemption is only given to those with bonded warehouses. Temporary number plates are only valid for 14 days.
  3. The Ministry also notes the tendency by citizens not to collect their number plates even after paying for them. Currently we have one thousand one hundred (1100) number plates that have been processed and are ready for collection. The public is advised to check with CVR and collect their number plates.
  4. The Ministry advises the nation that going forward CVR will only be responsible for issuing number plates to Corporates, Government Departments, Diplomats and the replacement of lost number plates.
  5. In conclusion, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development would like to assure the motoring public of the adequacy of number plates in the country. The Ministry further informs the public that the blitz on unregistered vehicles will continue until compliance is achieved. After the road blitz, enforcement agencies will proceed to car sales and dealerships to ensure that they also comply.

 

 

Hon. F.T. Mhona (MP)

MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Remarks by Hon F.T Mhona on appointment of additional ZINARA and ACZ Board members

REMARKS BY THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, HONOURABLE F.T. MHONA (MP) AT THE OCCASION OF APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS FOR ZINARA AND ACZ 30 DECEMBER 2021

 

Good Morning to you all

Ladies and Gentlemen;

On 1 December 2021 I announced additional appointments to Boards of five Public Entities under my purview. Today, we convene once again to announce more appointments for the ZINARA Board.

As you may be aware, terms of office of Board Members expire at different dates and with nine public entities under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, these appointments are announced regularly. The appointments are in line with obligations flowing from Section 11 of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31].

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Constituting Boards of Public Entities is a very critical component of my corporate governance oversight duties as the Line Minister. Boards are rich fountains for strategic policy guidance and direction to management of the Public Entities in the execution of their mandates with the view to provide goods and services to the people.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Today, I present to you Board appointments for the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) and the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ). I am pleased to announce that among the appointments, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. Dr. E.D Mnangagwa has approved the appointment of two (2) women of integrity to the position of Deputy Chairpersons of ZINARA and ACZ Boards respectively.

The appointments and the respective Public Entities to which the appointments are being made are as follows:

Name Gender
Zimbabwe National Roads Administration
1.  Dr. George Manyaya who shall be the Chairperson for the ZINARA Board for the next three years with immediate effect.

 

Male
2.  Ms. Lizwe. F. Bunu who has been re-appointed to serve her second term as the Deputy Chairperson of the ZINARA Board for the next three years with effect from 13 January 2022. Female

 

3.  Alderman Naason Mudzara who has been reappointed as Board Member for ZINARA for the next three years with effect from 13 January 2022. Male

 

Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ)
1.  Ms. Sinikiwe Gwatidzo who shall serve as the Deputy Chairperson for the ACZ Board for the next three years with immediate effect.   Female

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Join me in congratulating the new Board Members I have just appointed. As usual, the Board members go through rigorous and meticulous vetting process, thus their appointment is on the basis of merit, integrity and their knowledge and understanding of, and experience in the strategic leadership of Public Entities they shall serve under.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

As I highlighted at the occasion of previous appointments, the Second Republic, under the able leadership of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa is alive to the need for gender parity in Boards of Public Entities.

The appointment of Ms Gwatidzo and Ms Bunu to the positions of Deputy Chairpersons of Boards is in line with Section 17 (b) (ii) of the Constitution which stipulates that women should constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective and appointed governmental bodies established by or under it or any Act of Parliament. Therefore, the appointments we are making today are testament of President Mnangagwa’s policies to empower women.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

To our newly appointed Board Members, you should be alive to the need for implementing good corporate governance principles in your practice. I encourage you to be familiar with provisions of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31].

At ZINARA, there is immediate need for providing strategic policy guidance on, among other aspects, the following issues:

  • Decongestion of toll gates;
  • Working closely with the Ministry for the refurbishment and construction of toll plazas;
  • Coordinating and capacity building of road authorities to ensure maximum drawings from the road fund for road maintenance;
  • Implementing various Statutory Instruments pertaining to by-passes, prohibition of vendors from toll gates, extended period of blockages by broken down vehicles and resource mobilisation.
  • Learning and adopting good practices from other road funds on emerging issues to ensure modern financing models for sustainable logistics solutions;
  • Formulating and rolling-out a robust multi-stakeholder driven communication strategy;
  • Developing appropriate human capital attitudes leveraged by optimal motivation frameworks in line with the performance of ZINARA.
  • Strengthening and broadening the Committee system to work as working group incubators of innovative programming to improve accountability and financial prudence for subsequent approval by the full Board.

At ACZ, it is my fervent hope that the Deputy Chairperson we are appointing today shall work with her colleagues to ensure the following expectations are met:

  • Strategically positioning the ACZ with the view to take charge of the airports and aerodromes functions conferred in terms of the Civil Aviation Amendment Act 2018 (No.10 of 2018);
  • ACZ brand building and transforming the face of airports and aerodromes in the country to promote tourism and regional integration; and
  • Jointly with CAAZ, expediting the assets transfer and engagement of seconded employees through efficient modalities grounded in fair labour practices and public interest ethos to ensure that no employees are left out.

Ladies and Gentlemen;                

As you take up positions as Board Members, you are mandated to practice a high standard of professional ethics. For Public Entities to perform well, the following principles are important to note:

  • efficient economical use of resources;
  • public administration must be development-oriented;
  • services must be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias;
  • people’s needs must be responded to within a reasonable time, and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy-making;
  • public administration must be accountable to Parliament and to the people; and
  • Recruitment of staff must be made primarily on the basis of merit.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

I want to take this opportunity to express the confidence that Government has in you as Board Members, as you embark on a journey to work with those who were appointed before you to accelerate transformation of Public Entities.

In conclusion, allow me once again to congratulate the new Board Members on your appointment. We wish you success.

I thank You

Remarks by Hon F.T. Mhona on the occassion of the commissioning of Kopa-Jopa Road in Chimanimani

 

REMARKS BY:

 

MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, HON. F. T. MHONA (MP)

 

ON THE OCCASION OF THE

 

COMMISSIONING OF KOPA-JOPA ROAD

 

IN

 

CHIMANIMANI, MANICALAND PROVINCE

 

10 NOVEMBER, 2021

Salutations

Thank you Director of Ceremonies;

 

Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa;

 

Vice President of the Republic Of Zimbabwe and Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Gen. (Retd) Dr. C. G. D. N. Chiwenga;

 

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Manicaland Province, Hon. N. Matsikenyeri;

 

Second Secretary and Vice President of the Ruling Party ZANU PF, Col (Retd) Cde. K. C. D. Mohadi;

 

ZANU PF Chairman and Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri- Kashiri;

 

Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon. J. G. Moyo;

 

Other Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers here present;

 

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet and other Permanent Secretaries here present;

 

Honourable Members of Parliament

 

Senior Government officials;

 

Our traditional leadership led by Chief Muusha;

 

The Contractor, Bitumen World Private Limited;

 

Captains of the Construction Industry;

 

Members of the Ruling Party ZANU PF;

 

Members of the Media Fratenity;

 

Distinguished Guests;

 

Ladies and Gentlemen.

 

It gives me great pleasure to deliver my remarks at auspicious occasion of the commissioning of Kopa-Jopa Road, a project undertaken under the auspices of disaster recovery after the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Idai. This project indeed attests the commitment by the Government of the Second Republic, led by His Excellency the President, Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, to continually improve the livelihoods of Zimbabweans through infrastructure development in the quest to attain an Empowered and Prosperous Upper-Middle-Income Society by 2030.

 

Your Excellency Sir, the completion of this project restores connectivity between rural Chimanimani and Chipinge town for access to health and other services, and re-establishes the direct link between farms around the Rusitu Valley area and the markets for fresh farm produce in Chipinge, Birchenough Bridge and beyond. It draws greater significance from the fact that your Government is handing back to the community an improved road infrastructure that allows for the seamless flow of traffic and cost effective transportation, premised on the ‘build-back-better’ principle.

 

The Kopa-Jopa Road Project saw the construction of a total of twenty-three (23) kilometres of wide surfaced road, including the upgrading of four (4) bridges from single lane low-level standard to double lane high-level standard. The project was completed in fourteen (14) months between June 2020 and September 2021, at a total cost of one billion one hundred and twenty-eight million three hundred and thirty-eight thousand three hundred and twenty-five Zimbabwe Dollars (ZW$ 1,128,338,325.00). The contractor on the project was Bitumen World Private Limited.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, this achievement cannot be celebrated without due acknowledgement of the efforts of my predecessor, the late Cde Joel Biggie Matiza, who laid the foundation upon which today’s success rests. It was under his leadership that the Ministry embarked on this project under Cyclone Idai Restoration Works, among a host of other projects undertaken by Government to redress the damage to road infrastructure caused by Cyclone Idai. May his soul continue to rest in eternal peace.

 

It is common knowledge, your Excellency Sir, that a poor road network undermines the potential of the road transport system to contribute meaningfully to economic development. It is imperative therefore, that my Ministry’s efforts in contributing to the Infrastructure and Utilities Pillar of Vision 2030 be driven from a road development and rehabilitation perspective. Accordingly, the successful completion of the Kopa-Jopa Road Project is against a backdrop of a broader Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme that you launched earlier this year, which programme continues to make strides in restoring and improving road infrastructure towards the successful realisation of Vision 2030.

 

Your Excellency Sir, your vision in the leadership of this country is yielding positive results as evidenced by significant success stories in various sectors of the economy. The transport sector, being a key enabler of the same, is a proud beneficiary of your infrastructure development thrust and the successful completion of this project bears witness to your Government’s commitment to the continuous development of this country.

 

Allow me to conclude by saying that while today we take chance to celebrate this achievement, we remain cognisant of our duty to continue performing and contributing to national growth and development. Our knowledge of this obligation and the assurance we find in your leadership Your Excellency Sir, gives us strength to face each day with renewed hope that under your guidance, we can do it.

 

With that, I humbly submit. Thank you.