Kombi driver fined an extra $20 for signing “Vote MDC” on a police traffic ticket

Malter Matchiya who is a Kombi driver, was fined $20 in June for allegedly signing “Vote MDC” on a police traffic ticket, after he was stopped at a roadblock along the Bindura-Shamva Road.

When he was stopped at the roadblock on June 4, Matchiya was fined $10 for overloading his kombi by two passengers. After paying the fine, he signed “Vote MDC” and drove away. Two days later, police went to his Chiwaridzo home in Bindura and fined him an additional $20 for the signature. According to a ticket signed by Constable Hlahla, force number 07171W, Matchiya’s signature contravened section 46(2)(a)(v) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

Matchiya said he only paid the admission of guilt fine of $20 to avoid being kept in cells overnight. His employer fired him after pressure from Shamva police, who told him that Matchiya was now banned from driving any public transport. Matchiya said that he does not regret signing Vote MDC on the traffic ticket.