A Mutare man was on Thursday hauled before a magistrate for allegedly creating an illegal by-pass on his farm opposite the 22 Miles tollgate, reported The Herald.
Padina Dzumbira appeared in court facing charges of contravening sections of the law governing tollgates.
He appeared before Mutare magistrate Perseverance Makala yesterday charged with contravening section 3A (3) of Statutory Instrument 250/21 of the Toll Road (National Road Network) (Amendment) and was remanded out of custody to 10 March 2023.
The rule 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.