{"id":7243,"date":"2025-06-09T15:06:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T15:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=7243"},"modified":"2025-06-09T15:06:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T15:06:05","slug":"government-clarifies-drivers-licence-renewal-requirements-medical-reports-mandatory-retests-only-for-professional-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=7243","title":{"rendered":"Government Clarifies Driver\u2019s Licence Renewal Requirements: Medical Reports Mandatory, Retests Only for Professional Drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Harare Correspondent<br>Harare \u2013 The government has moved to clarify confusion surrounding driver\u2019s licence renewals, confirming that while all motorists will now need a medical report to renew their licences, mandatory retesting applies only to professional drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The clarification comes after public concern over reports suggesting blanket retesting for all drivers, sparking anxiety among motorists like 70-year-old Sekuru Moyo from Marondera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow will I book these retests? I don\u2019t think I have the stamina for it. What if I fail?\u201d Moyo questioned, reflecting widespread apprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona told reporters that retesting remains exclusive to public service vehicle (PSV) and heavy freight drivers under Statutory Instrument 168 of 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is no new proposal for a blanket retest system. The confusion stemmed from misinterpretations of the SADC licence renewal process,\u201d Mhona said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ordinary Drivers: Renewal after five years requires updated biometrics and a medical report\u2014no road test.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PSV &amp; Heavy Vehicle Drivers: Mandatory retest every five years, plus annual medical checks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The policy is anchored in Zimbabwe\u2019s alarming road accident statistics. The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) reports that 94% of crashes result from human error, with speeding, phone use, and drunk driving as major contributors. Between 2019 and 2022, 8,897 fatalities were recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRetesting professional drivers ensures competency and curbs fake licences,\u201d Mhona emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While some stakeholders back the measure, others argue for broader reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pious Chidzenga of the Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRetesting experienced drivers is unnecessary, but regular medical checks are vital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ngoni Katsvairo of the Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators called for defensive driving courses every 2\u20133 years instead of retests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA 30-minute road test doesn\u2019t add value. Continuous training does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Commuter omnibus driver Farai Chari warned of bottlenecks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVID is already overwhelmed. This will breed corruption due to delays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Minister Mhona noted Zimbabwe\u2019s alignment with international standards, citing the UK\u2019s retesting for passenger vehicle drivers. However, returnee Learnmore Zulu pointed out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn Australia, retests are rare unless for elderly drivers or serious offences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stakeholders urge a holistic approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stiffer penalties for reckless driving<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smart policing &amp; infrastructure upgrades<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crackdown on licence corruption<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As the debate continues, the government maintains that medical checks for all and retests for professionals are critical to reducing road carnage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhatever is necessary to bring sanity on the roads is welcome,\u201d said TSCZ\u2019s Munesu Munodawafa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The policy aims to balance public safety with practicality, but its success hinges on efficient implementation and combating systemic corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zim GBC News\u00a92025<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harare CorrespondentHarare \u2013 The government has moved to clarify confusion surrounding driver\u2019s licence renewals, confirming that while all motorists will now need a medical report to renew their licences, mandatory&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7245,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7243\/revisions\/7245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}