Hatcliffe Ward 42 Councilor, Elvis Ruzani was arrested by police for clearing a dump site at Matombo area in Hatcliffe and later released without charge.
The youthful Councilor alleged that heavily armed police bundled him into a police truck where he was instructed to stop removing waste without police approval.
He further alleged that the police accused him of violating the Covid 19 rules and regulations.
‘I was arrested and thrown into a police truck with armed police officers, whilst I was busy clearing a dumpsite which has become a health hazard to the residents with a forklift and a lorry’, said the youthful councillor.
The incident occurred at a time when last week the Acting Mayor for Harare City Council, Councilor Stewart Mutizwa appealed to the public to help with any resource that can assist the city in clearing dumpsites and refuse collection.
Harare City Council has been grappling with challenges of removing sprouting dumpsites in most suburbs due to the non-collection of waste by the local authority caused by a depleted fleet of refuse trucks.
CHRA calls for the immediate stop to the criminalization and monopolization of removing waste, especially in high-density areas, where dumpsites have become potential risks of causing waterborne diseases.
The Combined Harare Residents Association condemns selective application and manipulation of the law to suppress freedoms and rights in the constitution under the guise of enforcing Covid-19 Protocols and Guidelines by the law enforcement agencies.