The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, July Moyo has appointed a team to investigate operations of the City of Harare and its subsidiary company City Parking.
The Harare City Council gave City Parking marshals authority to clamp and fine traffic offenders in the Central Business District (CBD) and this has caused an uproar as the owners of clamped vehicles are being fined US$130 cash.
- The issues that are being investigated are parking include:
- The parking fees
- The average daily collection levels
- The shareholding structure between Council and City Parking
- The role of the Municipal Traffic Police in Parking
- The relationship, if any, between the ZRP Harare Traffic and City Parking
In a letter written to the spatial planning and development department, Moyo said:
As provided for in section 313 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29: 15) and as read with ministry circulars regarding deployment of investigation teams, City of Harare will bear the costs of the investigation, which I expect you to complete within 10 (ten) working days, whereupon you shall compile a report of your findings for my consideration within five working days.
Responding to concerns raised by motorists over exorbitant clamping fines on Twitter on Wednesday, Harare mayor Jacob Mafume said they will seek to strike a balance between the fines and what people can afford. He said:
We have noted the concerns of the public on this issue. We will be calling a Press Conference tomorrow (today) together with city parking to announce the recommendations we have received from the public. We have to strike a balance between the fines and what people can afford.
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