Confusion has gripped motorists after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman, George Charamba, dismissed a government directive banning tinted windows, saying it has no legal backing and should be ignored.
Charamba, who is currently accompanying the president on a state visit to China, released a strongly worded statement on Wednesday distancing Mnangagwa’s office from the announcement made a day earlier by Tafadzwa Muguti, the Permanent Secretary for Provincial 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 said.
On Tuesday, Muguti had convened a press conference in Harare directing all motorists to immediately strip tints from their vehicles, arguing that obscured windows were fuelling crimes such as robberies and sexual assaults. He said exemptions would only apply to government VIPs, security vehicles, and cars fitted with factory-standard tints.
The statement triggered widespread confusion as Zimbabwe’s laws do not explicitly outlaw tinted windows. Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015 only requires that windows provide clear, undistorted vision and a safe level of visibility.
Legal experts weighed in, warning that police could act unlawfully if they attempted to enforce Muguti’s directive. Human rights lawyer Obey Shava cautioned: “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, Charamba’s intervention appeared to neutralise Muguti’s order, exposing apparent divisions within government over the controversial measure.
