Government Admits STMS Errors As Minister Kazembe Says Traffic Enforcement System Is 98% Accurate
Written By: Audrey L
Published: November 9, 2026 | 4 min read
The Government has acknowledged that some motorists have received incorrect traffic fines under Zimbabwe’s Smart Traffic Management System (STMS), though Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe insists the platform remains highly reliable.
Kazembe told Parliament last Wednesday that the locally developed automated traffic enforcement platform had recorded approximately five million traffic violations. While maintaining that the system is operating at 98% to 99% accuracy, he stressed that the high success rate does not excuse motorists being wrongly penalised.
The acknowledgement follows recent demands by Members of Parliament to suspend the ZRP smart traffic fines until the system's ongoing problems are resolved.
Police Verification Process Under Scrutiny
The minister stated that some of the complaints involved motorists receiving fines for vehicles they did not own. This occurred after number plate recognition errors, including instances where cameras misread registration numbers or failed to capture certain digits.
However, Kazembe attributed these incidents directly 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.
Where the System Breaks Down
Traffic officers are mandated to manually validate the video footage for every recorded violation before issuing the ticket, a step that is sometimes bypassed.
Instances where the camera system fails to capture specific digits or misreads a plate are supposed to be caught and discarded by human operators.
When officers are physically directing traffic or clearing intersections for motorcades, the automated system may flag legal movements as violations if not manually overridden.
Government Takes Responsibility For Wrong Fines
Acknowledging that verification procedures were not being properly followed in some cases, Minister Kazembe stated he had raised the complaints directly with the Commissioner-General of Police.
He has instructed the police chief to investigate the operational shortcomings and ensure that complaints from affected motorists are addressed immediately. Kazembe noted that the Government accepted responsibility for the mistakes and is actively working to resolve the problems.
"If it is not happening, it means someone is sleeping on duty and we have to deal with that."
— Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe
Despite defending the technology's overall success rate, the minister acknowledged that even a small number of errors could cause significant inconvenience to innocent motorists.
Motorists Can Check Video Evidence Before Paying
To combat wrongful ticketing and improve transparency, Kazembe highlighted a verification feature that empowers motorists to watch the video footage of alleged traffic offences before making any payments.
Each digital ticket contains a unique link through which drivers can access the recorded footage. This allows motorists to establish without a doubt 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."
— Kazembe Kazembe
This digital evidence portal is designed to prevent motorists from paying fines for misread number plates and provides a straightforward avenue for challenging tickets generated during periods of manual traffic direction by the police.
Key Takeaways: The STMS Debate
While Members of Parliament have recently called for a suspension of the ZRP's Smart Traffic Management System until errors are completely ironed out, the Home Affairs Ministry is standing by the technology.
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