Zim Now Writer
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has moved to clear confusion over the use of tinted vehicle windows, stating that no law currently outlaws them.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Ziyambi confirmed that both private and public vehicles are free to use tinted windows, as there is no legislation prohibiting them.
“At the moment, we do not have any law banning tinted windows on vehicles,” he told legislators.
His remarks came just a day after Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution, Tafadzwa Muguti, announced what appeared to be a blanket ban.
Muguti had instructed motorists to strip their vehicles of tinted windows, warning that police would impound non-compliant cars.
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Muguti justified the directive by linking tinted windows to recent criminal cases, including the rape of a schoolgirl in a kombi, robberies by unmarked mushikashikas, and the smuggling of drugs.
He said only government, VIP, or vehicles with factory-installed tints would be exempt.
However, existing law paints a different picture. Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015 does not explicitly forbid tinted windows. It only requires that windows allow a “clear, undistorted vision” and a “safe degree of visibility.”
Offences arise only when the tint compromises the driver’s ability to see the road.
The same regulations also compel all vehicles to carry essential safety equipment, including a fire extinguisher, a functional spare wheel, a jack, and a wheel spanner.
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