Zimbabwe: Government to Deploy Weighbridges in Mining Areas to Curb Truck Overloading

What the report says

Zimbabwe’s Transport Ministry says it will deploy mobile weighbridges in mining areas to address widespread truck overloading that officials say is damaging roads. The report, published by New Zimbabwe and distributed by AllAfrica, said the plan was discussed after a joint meeting of parliamentary transport and public accounts committees at Parliament in Mt Hampden on Monday.

Transport Ministry permanent secretary Joy Makumbe said the problem is especially acute around mining sites, where trucks can exceed the weight limits for roads built for lighter traffic. She said she had recently seen vehicles carrying loads far above what nearby roads were designed to handle. Makumbe urged miners and transport operators to follow loading rules and noted that the Vehicle Inspection Department already has facilities in some areas where trucks can be weighed before travel.

As an immediate step, the ministry and the Zimbabwe National Road Administration will place weighbridges in motion in mining areas to improve enforcement. The article also says ZINARA is pursuing longer-term work to repair weighbridges at borders and toll plazas and to install new ones at other points on the road network.

According to the report, officials warned that violators could face heavy fines, with no payment arrangements. The move matters because road damage can raise transport costs and disrupt mining logistics, making enforcement a broader infrastructure and business issue.