A Chinhoyi court has sentenced a Harare man to two years in prison and permanently banned him from driving any class of motor vehicle after he was convicted of reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Miro Godknows Maringisi, 43, was driving a Toyota Hiace passenger service vehicle along the Harare–Chirundu Road in Chinhoyi on 6 October 2026 when the incident happened. The vehicle was carrying door frames and doors on its roof, adding to the danger as it travelled along the busy route.
At about 3pm, Maringisi approached a traffic-light junction where a truck was stationary and waiting for the lights to change. He attempted to overtake the truck by using the left side of the road. During the manoeuvre, the Toyota Hiace side-swiped the truck and damaged its left side-view mirror.
Police officers who attended the scene suspected that Maringisi had been drinking. A breathalyser test recorded an alcohol concentration of 417 milligrams per 100 millilitres, well above Zimbabwe’s stipulated limit of 150 milligrams per 100 millilitres.
The Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court convicted him on both charges. He received 24 months for reckless driving and another 24 months for driving under the influence of alcohol, with the terms running concurrently. He will therefore serve an effective two-year custodial sentence.
The court also cancelled his driving licence and permanently prohibited him from operating vehicles in every class. The ruling is the latest in a series of cases in which Zimbabwean courts have imposed lengthy prison terms, cancelled licences and issued lifetime bans against motorists whose actions placed passengers and other road users at serious risk.
Truck driver banned after Bulawayo collision
In a separate case, Tatenda Janasi, 33, was banned for life from driving heavy motor vehicles after a collision in Bulawayo.
Janasi was driving an Eicher Pro 1075 heavy vehicle along Nketa Drive near Chicken Corner on 13 September 2026 when he struck a stationary Toyota Vitz. The impact damaged the smaller car’s right headlight and front fender. No injuries were reported.
A test showed that Janasi had an alcohol concentration of 344 milligrams per 100 millilitres, more than twice the stipulated limit. He was convicted of driving without due care and driving under the influence of alcohol.
For driving without due care, he was fined US$130, with two months’ imprisonment as an alternative if he failed to pay. He was also sentenced to 24 months in prison for drink-driving and barred from driving heavy motor vehicles for life.
The case placed another spotlight on the risks created when drivers of large commercial vehicles take to the road after drinking. A heavy vehicle can cause extensive damage even in a low-speed collision, particularly in built-up areas where parked cars, pedestrians and other motorists are close together.
Kombi driver permanently barred after using one-way lane
Freedom Ruzvidzo, 32, became another high-profile casualty of Zimbabwe’s tougher response to reckless driving in August 2025.
Ruzvidzo was driving a Toyota Hiace commuter omnibus in Harare when he entered a one-way lane and drove against oncoming traffic during peak hour. The incident happened at the busy intersection of Sam Nujoma Avenue, also known as Second Street, and Upper East Road.
The manoeuvre obstructed other motorists and created the risk of a head-on collision. No injuries were recorded, but the court found that the conduct exposed members of the public to serious danger.
Ruzvidzo was sentenced to two years’ effective imprisonment. His driving licence was cancelled and he was permanently prohibited from driving vehicle classes 2, 4 and 5, covering the types of vehicles commonly used for commuter transport, trucks and other heavy vehicles.
The punishment came after repeated concern over dangerous driving by commuter omnibus operators, particularly in central Harare. The court action also made clear that a crash does not have to result in deaths or injuries before a driver faces a severe sentence.
Harare motorist jailed after traffic-light and vehicle damage
Alexander Tapiwa Kaseke, 34, was dealt with in May 2025 after driving over a pavement at the intersection of R G Mugabe Road and Angwa Street in central Harare.
Kaseke struck a traffic-light pole and hit a vehicle travelling north along Angwa Street. Police said the incident amounted to reckless driving. He was sentenced to 36 months in prison, with the court cancelling his driving licence and prohibiting him from driving for 24 months.
The case was among those highlighted by the Zimbabwe Republic Police in a statement warning that motorists who disregard traffic rules in built-up areas would face arrest and prosecution. Police said the operation also targeted dangerous conduct by public service vehicle drivers and private motorists.
A separate police case involving Tichaona Dzvuvira showed the type of vehicle defects being found during the crackdown. Dzvuvira was arrested after driving a public service vehicle with passengers through a pavement from Fidel Castro Road into Bank Street. The vehicle had no current licence, no insurance and no registration plates. Police also found seven missing wheel nuts, no rear windscreen wiper and no rear-view mirror. His case was still pending, so he has not been included among motorists whose licences were cancelled or who were banned by a court.
Six-month ban after crash injured pedestrians
Dumisani Mtetwa, 28, was convicted of negligent driving after a serious crash along the Birchenough Bridge–Mt Selinda Road on 6 January 2025.
Mtetwa was driving a Nissan Sunny when he entered the main road from a dust feeder road at the K2 bus stop without giving way to oncoming traffic. His car collided with a Dutro truck driven by Noah Singizi.
The force of the crash sent the truck off the road and into three pedestrians, who suffered serious injuries. The truck then overturned. Four passengers inside the truck sustained minor injuries, while both vehicles were damaged.
Mtetwa left the scene, abandoning his car nearby before running away on foot. He later appeared in court and pleaded guilty. He was fined US$300, with three months’ imprisonment as an alternative, banned from driving for six months and ordered to surrender his licence within seven days.
Fatal crash brings two-year effective sentence
Ernest Ringisai Mauna, 39, was also stripped of his licence after a fatal crash in Harare’s Borrowdale area.
The accident happened on 14 April 2025 when Mauna was driving a Nissan Hardbody along Harare Drive. He was speeding and failed to maintain a safe following distance before ramming into a Toyota Wish. The collision triggered a pile-up involving a Nissan Sunny, a Powerstar heavy truck and a Honda Fit.
The Nissan Sunny was forced into the oncoming lane and crashed head-on into the Powerstar truck. Andrew Makuwaza, 53, who was a passenger in the Nissan Sunny, died at the scene.
Mauna was convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment, with 12 months suspended. He was left with an effective two-year term. The court also cancelled his driving licence for classes 2, 4 and 5, preventing him from driving both light and heavy vehicles.
The convictions come against a backdrop of worsening road-safety figures during Zimbabwe’s 2025 Heroes and Defence Forces holiday period. Police recorded 196 road traffic accidents between 11 and 12 August, compared with 149 during the same period the previous year. Fatal crashes rose from eight to 13, while deaths increased from 16 to 24 and injuries from 77 to 96.
Police attributed some of the crashes to reckless driving, mechanical faults, speeding and unsafe overtaking. The recent court cases reflect each of those dangers: a driver swerving around a stationary truck, a haulage driver hitting a parked car after drinking, a kombi driver travelling against traffic, and motorists using vehicles or driving methods that put other road users in danger.
For the drivers affected, the penalties have gone beyond fines. Their licences have been cancelled or restricted, and in the most serious cases they have been permanently removed from the road as drivers.