Government Admits STMS Errors As Minister Kazembe Says Traffic Enforcement System Is 98% Accurate

The Government has acknowledged that some motorists have received incorrect traffic fines under Zimbabwe’s Smart Traffic Management System (STMS).

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe has attributed the mistakes to lapses in the verification process.

Kazembe told Parliament last Wednesday that the locally developed automated traffic enforcement platform had recorded approximately five million traffic violations, with only a small number of cases involving incorrect tickets.

According to The Herald, he estimated the system’s accuracy at between 98% and 99%, but stressed that the high success rate did not excuse motorists being wrongly penalised.

Also Read: MPs Demand Suspension Of ZRP Smart Traffic Fines Until System Problems Are Fixed

Police Verification Process Under Scrutiny

The minister said some of the complaints involved motorists receiving fines for vehicles they did not own after number plate recognition errors, including instances where cameras misread registration numbers or failed to capture certain digits.

He attributed these incidents to human errors during the police verification stage rather than technical problems with the platform, which was developed locally by TelOne.

Kazembe explained that traffic officers are supposed to examine video footage and validate each recorded offence before a ticket is sent to a motorist.

This requirement also applies in situations involving traffic officers directing vehicles or motorcades passing through monitored areas.

He acknowledged that the verification procedures were not being properly followed in some cases and said he had raised the complaints with the Commissioner-General of Police.

The minister said he had instructed the police chief to investigate the operational shortcomings and ensure that complaints from affected motorists were addressed.

“If it is not happening, it means someone is sleeping on duty and we have to deal with that,” he said.

Government Takes Responsibility For Wrong Traffic Fines

Kazembe said the Government accepted responsibility for the mistakes and was working to resolve the problems affecting motorists.

He maintained that the number of incorrect tickets was relatively small compared to the millions of violations recorded by the system.

“We have received about plus or minus five million violations, and we have received these errors, which are probably about 10 or 20,” he said.

Despite defending the technology, the minister acknowledged that even a small number of errors could cause inconvenience to innocent motorists.

Motorists Can Check Video Evidence Before Paying

Kazembe also highlighted a verification feature that allows motorists to watch video footage of alleged traffic offences before making payments.

He said each ticket contains a link through which drivers can access the recorded footage and establish whether the vehicle captured by the cameras was theirs and whether an offence had actually occurred.

“The good thing is that the system allows you an opportunity to view the video and confirm whether it was indeed you,” he said.