A man from Mutare, Manicaland Province, who for years had been collecting money from an illegal tollgate has been sentenced to three months imprisonment reported The Manica Post.
Padina Dzumbira erected an illegal tollgate on his farm which is opposite the 22 Miles tollgate.
He was this week found guilty of contravening section 3A (3) of Statutory Instrument 250/21 of the Toll Road (National Road Network) (Amendment) when he appeared before Perseverance Makala on Tuesday.
Dzumbira was sentenced to three months in jail and also given the option to pay a fine of US$200 by 22 May 2023.
If he fails to pay the fine, Dzumbira will serve the jail sentence.
The rule Dzumbira broke bars the use of a private bypass road falling within 1km of a toll gate unless authorised by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
No one is allowed to collect toll fees on any road within 1km of a tolling point.
Prosecuting, Sharon Chibvongodze said the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) saw drivers by-passing the 22 Miles tollgate on the farm road and reported Dzumbira to the police.
Last year, the 22 Miles acting tollgate supervisor Charedza Majedera allegedly saw Dzumbira allowing vehicles to bypass the tollgate using his private road.
He then called in the ZINARA risk and loss control department to set up surveillance cameras to record evidence.
Part of the State outline reads:
An analysis made on the video footage obtained from the surveillance cameras on October 14, 2022, October 17, 2022, and October 25, 2022, shows classes of motor vehicles bypassing the tollgate and pass through the accused’s homestead.
From the video footage, ZINARA was allegedly prejudiced of US$172 or equivalent in local currency value and nothing was recovered.
