“The System Does Not Know Its Master”: Minister Kazembe Fined by Traffic Cameras
Bulawayo — Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe has hailed Zimbabwe’s automated traffic management system as a model of impartial enforcement, revealing that he was himself fined, as official figures show the AI-powered camera network has flagged millions of violations and is expected to generate substantial revenue from penalties.
Addressing the 2027 National Pre-Budget Seminar in Bulawayo, Kazembe said the incident demonstrated that the digital enforcement system does not spare senior government officials.
“The system does not know its master. I was recently fined by the traffic management system on my way to the airport. That demonstrates just how efficient it is; it does not discriminate or selectively enforce the rules,” Kazembe told delegates
According to official data, the Electronic Traffic Management System (ETMS), deployed in partnership with state-owned telecommunications firm TelOne, has recorded millions of offences since its rollout. By mid-October 2026, the system had flagged 4.8 million suspected traffic violations captured by AI-enabled smart cameras in Harare’s central business district .
Earlier figures showed the count rising from 2.3 million in mid-August to over four million by the end of September 2026 — an increase of nearly 74 percent in six weeks .
Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the recorded offences include running red traffic lights, driving against the flow of traffic, picking up and dropping off passengers at undesignated places, speeding, using mobile phones while driving, and travelling without fastened seatbelts .
Kazembe told delegates the ministry had recorded at least two million electronic traffic violations nationwide, and at a minimum fine of US$30, this represented potential revenue of about *US$10 million. He appealed to the Finance Ministry for a share of the proceeds to fund the
operations.
No separate camera fine schedule has been published, but officials have pointed to existing law, under which most everyday offences carry a standard fine of US$30. Speeding fines run on a sliding scale from US$5 to US$30 depending on the excess, with more serious cases referred to a magistrate .
The government has opened an account at CBZ Bank where offenders are paying fines, a measure officials say is intended to limit human contact and reduce corruption. An online platform for motorists to check violation status and pay fines electronically is also being finalised .
Presenting his ministry’s 2027 budget bid, Kazembe said it had requested US$671 million for administration but been allocated US$278 million, leaving a deficit of about US$419.7 million. He said the. police had sought US$3.4 billion and received US$1.6 billion, warning that a long list of unfunded items would remain uncovered.
He also raised concern over the critical shortage of consumables for civil registration documents, including birth certificates and national identity documents, and called for an amendment to allow the Civil Registration Department to address the gap.
On heritage, Kazembe said a team was in the United Kingdom to repatriate Zimbabwean ancestral remains, expected back in the country over the weekend. He said a Border Management Authority Bill would come before Parliament to coordinate border functions currently spread across police, intelligence and defence, following a presidential directive.
He called for adequate resourcing of the ministry, saying peace and stability were prerequisites for sustainable economic development, and urged the Finance Ministry to consider the unfunded items in the police budget.