Government Declares War on Tinted Windows in Sweeping Crime Cleanup
The government has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on tinted windows for all private and public vehicles, citing their role in concealing criminal activity and contributing to rising drug abuse.
The directive was announced by Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Tafadzwa Muguti, during a press briefing in Harare.
He stated that police across all provinces will enforce the measure, with vehicles either stripped of their tint or impounded.
“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.
Only government VIPs, security vehicles, and cars fitted with manufacturer-standard shading are exempt from the ban.
Muguti said the decision follows a surge in violent crimes committed inside vehicles with tinted windows, including the r@p€ of a Grade Seven pupil in a commuter omnibus.
Informal transport operators, commonly known as mushikashika, were identified as priority targets due to their frequent links to criminal activity.
“Tinted windows provide cover for criminal activity. This is about public safety,” Muguti emphasized.
The tinted window ban forms part of a broader government strategy to combat drug abuse and restore public order.
Muguti announced new regulations for rehabilitation centres, stating that only youths brought in by parents or guardians will be admitted and only under a mandatory seven-month separation policy.
“Once you submit your child, you will not see them for months. They must be removed from environments that fuel relapse,” he said.
To prevent misinformation and unauthorized commentary, Muguti directed that only Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs are permitted to speak on government policy.
He criticized politicians who have made unauthorized statements in pursuit of popularity, warning that such conduct undermines national efforts.
Toll-free hotlines will be activated across all provinces to encourage anonymous reporting of drug-related crimes.
The government says these measures are designed to restore transparency, accountability, and safety in communities increasingly affected by hidden criminal operations and substance abuse.
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