High Court reverses payment of vehicle plates in USD

The High Court cancelled SI161 of 2020 which made motorists pay vehicle licenses in $USD , while the transport body should refund motorists.

Judge Justice Chinhamora nullified the law stating that the Minister of Transport has no authority to price vehicle plates in USD.

Last year in July government published a new Statutory Instrument, SI 161 of 2020, which gazetted the fees for new number plates and vehicle registration in USD.

According to the Statutory Instrument(SI), motorists were being required to pay in United States Dollars in order to get new plates.

In response to the SI an application was filed to the court challenging the new law which made citizens pay in USD while government has been prosecuting some businesses for refusing to accept Zimbabwe Dollars.

MDC Alliance Vice Tendai Biti posted the High Court ruling on Micro blogging site twitter.

“Pursuant to an application we filed in October 2020, the High Court today set aside SI161 of 2020 which obliged payment of vehicle plates in US$”

“.Justice Chinhamora ruled that Min Of Transport had no power of levying charges in US$.Gvt must now refund motorists,” he said.

However, despite the charging of vehicle plate in USD the country is still experiencing shortages.

Government acknowledged the crisis , Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the shortage of number plates is caused by the fact that the country imports them.

While government has since given a green light of locally manufactured plates.