CVR rejects proposal for 5 O-Level requirement for drivers

The system will be linked to the new smart traffic management system, which will use cameras to detect traffic offences and curb reckless driving.

Acting CVR registrar Saston Muzenda told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport that Government was strengthening the regulatory framework through technology and the proposed penalty points system.

He was responding to a petition by Drivers Association of Zimbabwe president Nicholas Mabwe, who called for laws and regulatory bodies to professionalise driving.

Mabwe argued that many drivers lacked proper road ethics and proposed that motorists should have at least five O-Level passes as a minimum requirement.

Muzenda said Zimbabwean drivers already go through rigorous testing before being licensed, and the Government was working to make the learner’s licence test more accessible.

He said Zimbabwean drivers were recognised across the region and internationally, and there was no indication they were considered incompetent.

“The process our drivers go through is internationally recognised and is one of the best in terms of practice,” he said. “From a professional point of view, we have already professionalised our drivers within the region. And professional drivers who drive for a living have more laws to obey than a private motorist.”

Muzenda said Zimbabwe had complied with the Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme, which seeks to harmonise transport policies, laws and standards across SADC, COMESA and the East African Community.

He said the country had adopted the legal instruments needed to implement a driver trade-free area, ensuring Zimbabwean drivers are recognised across the region.