President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman George Charamba has distanced his boss from a government directive ordering motorists to strip tints from their vehicles, saying the announcement had no legal basis and should be treated with contempt.
Charamba, who is on a working visit with President Mnangagwa in China, on Wednesday distanced the Office of the President and Cabinet from the directive issued a day earlier by Tafadzwa Muguti, the Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution.
“Kindly note: There is no basis in fact or law to the accompanying announcement attributed to Secretary Muguti.
“Kindly ignore this mis-communication from an unauthorised office and officer!” Charamba declared in a statement via one of his X handle donzamusoro007.
Muguti on Tuesday held a press conference in Harare where he announced that all private and public motorists were required to “immediately” remove tinted windows from their vehicles, citing a surge in crime involving obscured vehicles.
He said the ban would exempt government and VIP transport, as well as vehicles manufactured with standard shades of tint.
The directive triggered confusion, as existing laws do not prohibit tints outright. Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015 only requires that windows provide “a clear, undistorted vision” and a “safe degree of visibility.”
Legal experts questioned both the authority and scope of Muguti’s pronouncement, warning that the police risked taking unlawful action if they enforced the measure.
Lawyer Obey Shava said: “Police should be careful not to make costly decisions based on a statement which is not fully supported by the law. Tint is allowed on condition certain requirements are met.”
By Wednesday morning, Charamba’s statement appeared to neutralise the directive, underscoring divisions within government over the controversial measure.
Zimlive
