by BERNARD CHIKETO
ZIMBABWE’S government has taken a long‑overdue step to tackle one of its most persistent road‑safety failures – the lax enforcement of drink‑driving laws.
On January 9 2026 President Emmerson Mnangagwa approved a statutory instrument that designates two specific breath‑testing devices—the ST FIT‑333Gi, made by Hong Kong’s AAT Limited, and the AT9000, produced by China’s Hanwei Electronics Group—as the only apparatuses that police may use to measure drivers’ blood‑alcohol content (Statutory Instrument 7 of 2026).
The move replaces earlier regulations that were so flawed they effectively rendered breath‑test evidence inadmissible in court.
The change comes amid a grim backdrop. Zimbabwe’s roads are among the most dangerous in Africa.
In 2024 alone, official statistics recorded 2,015 road‑traffic deaths, one of the highest tolls in recent years according to 2024 Zimbabwe Republic Police, Annual Traffic Report.
The situation deteriorates sharply during holiday periods: over the 12‑day festive season in 2025, police reported 100 fatalities, up from 77 the previous year, and 2,412 crashes, double the 2024 figure according to Zimbabwe Republic Police, 2025 Festive Season Report.
Alcohol is a recurring factor.
As far back as 2019, the health minister stated that about 1,000 people die each year in alcohol‑related traffic accidents, with a further 3,000 injured as recorded in Parliament of Zimbabwe, Hansard.
Although more recent drink‑driving‑specific numbers are scarce, police routinely cite alcohol as a leading contributor to fatal crashes.
The new instrument is a direct response to a legal fiasco.
In December 2025 the government had issued the Road Traffic (Use of Breathalysers) Regulations (SI 193 of 2025), but the document merely listed serial numbers without stating what they referred to.
A critique by Veritas, a legal‑watchdog group, pointed out that the instrument was “completely void” because it was issued by the transport minister rather than the president, as required by law (Veritas, Analysis of SI 193 of 2025).
Consequently, any breath‑test evidence obtained under those regulations would have been thrown out of court, leaving police powerless to prosecute drunk drivers effectively.
SI 7 of 2026 seeks to close that loophole by expressly authorising the two named devices.
The aim is to standardise the equipment used at roadblocks and to ensure that readings will stand up in court.
The government has been gradually arming police with more technology; in late 2025 it began deploying breathalysers and speed‑trap cameras on major highways (according to a Ministry of Transport press statement issued in November 2025.
The latest directive is meant to give those efforts a firm legal footing.
Nevertheless, the success of the crackdown will depend on more than just having the right gadgets.
Zimbabwe’s traffic police are notoriously under‑resourced and, in some cases, corrupt.
Drivers often avoid penalty by bribing officers, a practice documented in local media and by transparency advocates as noted in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, 2024 Report.
Moreover, the country’s drink‑driving limit of 0.08 g/dL—the same for general, young and professional drivers—is relatively lenient by international standards although it shares the same limit with the United Kingdom, Canada, and many U.S. states.
At this level, the risk of a fatal crash is statistically four times higher than for a sober driver, according to meta-analyses by organisations like the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Most of the European Union, including Germany, France, and Italy, uses a 0.05 g/dL limit. Several, like Sweden and Poland, have a strict 0.02% limit. Research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) consistently shows that lowering the BAC limit to 0.05% saves lives by significantly reducing alcohol-related collisions.
The public-health rationale behind stricter limits in other nations underscores that any amount of alcohol increases crash risk, making the only reliable rule for drivers one of complete abstinence.
Even with approved breathalysers, conviction rates may remain low unless the judiciary treats drink‑driving cases with greater seriousness.
In a region where road‑traffic injuries are a leading cause of death, Zimbabwe’s attempt to tighten drink‑driving enforcement is a welcome, if belated, move.
But as other countries have learned, reducing alcohol‑related crashes requires a sustained, multi‑pronged campaign: consistent policing, public education, and perhaps a lower legal blood‑alcohol limit.
For now, the government has at least plugged a glaring legal hole. Whether it can stem the flow of blood on the roads remains to be seen.
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