Johnson Progress

A directive banning tinted windows on private and public vehicles has sparked confusion and controversy, with government officials at odds over its legitimacy.

The Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Tafadzwa Muguti, announced the ban on Tuesday, citing the role of tinted windows in concealing criminal activity and contributing to rising drug abuse.

However the Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba disputed the announcement, calling it “misinformation”.

Charamba took to social media to refute Muguti’s pronouncement, stating that the directive had no legal foundation and did not originate from a properly authorized source.

“KINDLY NOTE: There is no basis in fact or law to the accompanying announcement attributed to Secretary Muguti. Kindly ignore this miscommunication from an unauthorized office and Officer!” Charamba posted.

This is not the first time Muguti’s announcements have been disputed.

In 2022, he made a pronouncement about demolishing houses in Arlington Estate, which was later dismissed by then Social Amenities Minister, Daniel Garwe, as “fake news”.

“As far as we are concerned, no house will be demolished and any communication to the contrary is misleading. Indeed, anything contrary to that is fake news,” Garwe said.

Muguti has also been involved in controversy over a cement project in Magunje, where he criticized the Environmental Management Agency for issuing an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate to a company without verifying its land ownership.

The conflicting statements have thrown the public into confusion, with many Zimbabweans unsure whether the tint ban is enforceable or simply political theater.

Muguti had directed all private and public motorists to remove tinted windows from their vehicles with immediate effect, warning that non-compliant vehicles would be impounded or have their tints removed.

“All of you with tinted windows that prevent police from seeing inside your vehicle, remove them immediately. If you do not, the police will do it for you, or your vehicle will be impounded,” Muguti said.

However, with Charawit’s statement, the fate of the tinted window ban remains uncertain.