Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. GOVERNMENT has launched a nationwide crackdown on overloaded haulage trucks, warning of “zero tolerance” as it moves to protect billions of dollars in new road infrastructure from premature destruction.
In a public notice on Thursday, the Transport and Infrastructural Development ministry said the immediate enforcement of axle load regulations would begin across all major highways in what officials described as the most aggressive compliance drive in decades.
“This serves as a formal notice to all motorists and transport operators regarding the strict enforcement of axle load regulations on Zimbabwe’s major highways, with immediate effect.
“The recent significant investments in our national road infrastructure, including the ongoing Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road rehabilitation and upgrading project, are vital for economic growth, tourism and public safety.
“To protect this critical infrastructure and ensure its longevity, there will be zero tolerance for overloaded vehicles.”
The warning marks a turning point in the authorities’ long-running struggle against overloading, a practice that transport economists say has quietly cost Zimbabwe millions each year through potholes, collapsed bridges, and spiralling maintenance costs.
The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Highway, currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar rehabilitation and upgrading programme, has become the centrepiece of the campaign.
Officials say unchecked overloading is threatening the lifespan of the newly upgraded road, a crucial tourism and trade artery connecting southern Africa’s safari capital with the industrial hub of Bulawayo.
The government said mobile weighbridges and 24-hour highway checkpoints are being rolled out to net violators.
Drivers and transport operators who exceed permitted axle weights will face steep fines, vehicle impoundments, and possible suspension of licences.
“Overloading severely damages road surfaces, leading to premature potholes, structural failures, and increased public expenditure on repairs. It also poses a serious safety risk to all road users,” the ministry added.
The announcement comes as Zimbabwe accelerates its infrastructure modernisation under the National Transport Master Plan, a key pillar of its economic recovery strategy.
The policy aligns with regional road safety and infrastructure preservation standards set by the Southern African Development Community.
An industry expert who declined to be named said the crackdown was overdue and would protect major transport corridors from further deterioration.
“Overloading shortens a highway’s lifespan by up to 70%.
“Zimbabwe’s new roads cannot sustain that abuse,” he said.
“This is about economic preservation, not punishment.”
The transport ministry said the initiative forms part of a wider government effort to build a safer, more connected, and economically competitive Zimbabwe.
It urged logistics firms, truck drivers, and freight companies to “comply or face the full weight of the law”.
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