Speaking during a Question and Answer Session in the National Assembly this week, Kazembe said the Government had received complaints from motorists who claimed they were wrongly issued with traffic violation notices due to errors in the system.
He said investigations had confirmed that some tickets had indeed been issued incorrectly after the system failed to accurately capture vehicle registration details.
“It is true we’ve had evidence to suggest that the system is making a mistake, missing probably one digit,” Kazembe told legislators.
The minister said the issue was not necessarily with the technology itself but could also be linked to the process of validating violations before tickets are issued.
According to Kazembe, every offence detected by the system is supposed to be checked by police officers before a ticket is sent to a motorist.
“This system: before the ticket is issued, there is a validation process. We have already started looking into it from an operational perspective,” he said.
“I’ve spoken with the Commissioner-General to say there are these complaints; can you please attend to them.”
Kazembe conceded that human error may have contributed to some of the disputed tickets.
“The officers are supposed to validate before the ticket is issued, so somebody might have missed it,” he said.
“I’m not trying to justify the errors; we take responsibility, and we are attending to it as a matter of urgency.”
The minister, however, defended the system’s design, saying motorists have an opportunity to verify alleged offences before paying penalties.
He explained that traffic notices are accompanied by links that allow vehicle owners to view video evidence of the alleged violation.
“The good thing is the system allows you an opportunity to view the video to confirm whether it was indeed you,” he said.
“You are not just being asked to go and pay without verification. That’s why it’s giving you a link to connect and check the video if it’s correct or not.”
The Smart Traffic Management System has sparked widespread debate since its launch, with some motorists questioning the accuracy of tickets issued through automated cameras.
Despite the concerns, Kazembe maintained that the number of reported errors was very small compared to the total number of violations detected.
According to the minister, the system has recorded about five million traffic violations since its introduction.
“We now have plus or minus five million violations. And we’ve received these errors, which are probably about 10 or 20,” he said.
“On a scale or as a percentage, we want to believe that the system is probably 98 per cent to 99 per cent accurate. But that does not justify those errors.”
He stressed that all reported mistakes are being addressed and rectified.
Kazembe also praised the development of the platform, describing it as a locally produced solution to a local challenge.
He revealed that the system was designed by telecommunications company TelOne, saying it demonstrated Zimbabwe’s ability to develop home-grown technology.
“I want to thank His Excellency the President who has allowed a local company to come up with a local solution to our problems,” he said.
“This has been done; the system has been designed by TelOne, a local company.”
While defending the effectiveness of the technology, the minister said the Government accepted responsibility for any inaccuracies and remained committed to ensuring motorists are not unfairly penalised.
“But however we take responsibility and we are attending to that issue,” he said.