By A Correspondent| Prominent human rights lawyer Obey Shava has sharply criticized the government’s decision to impound a haulage truck owned by Tika Chem Investments (Pvt) Ltd, calling the move “illegal and emotional,” following an incident that caused damage to the newly constructed Trabablas Interchange in Harare.
In a press statement issued on 9 July 2025, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed that the truck, which was transporting a granite stone, lost its load on 8 July 2025, resulting in damage to guard rails and pavement infrastructure at the recently completed Trabablas Interchange. The Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) immediately impounded the truck for further investigation.
“The Ministry has directed the truck owner to undertake full repairs of the damaged infrastructure at their own cost. The truck will only be released upon satisfactory completion of the repairs and once VID has conducted the necessary inspections,” the statement read.
However, Shava questioned the legality of the Ministry’s actions, arguing that no statutory authority empowers the government to withhold a private vehicle until infrastructure repairs are completed.
“The Ministry of Transport has given an illegal instruction. It has no power to detain the truck until the owner repairs the Trabablas pavement as communicated in this memo. Ministry officials should desist from making emotional and costly decisions. Due process must be followed,” said Shava.
Shava emphasized that legal remedies exist for damage to public infrastructure, and the government should pursue compensation through established legal channels, not unilateral administrative action.
The Ministry’s statement, meanwhile, urged motorists and haulage operators to be more responsible in safeguarding public infrastructure, warning that acts of negligence or vandalism impose unnecessary financial burdens on taxpayers. It encouraged citizens to report such incidents through videos, pictures, or eyewitness accounts.
“Let us all work together to protect and preserve our national infrastructure for the benefit of present and future generations,” the Ministry said in its statement, which carried the hashtag #KilometerByKilometer.