By Desire Tshuma
HARARE — The City of Harare has published a wide-ranging list of by-laws that Municipal Police will enforce in the coming weeks, as Mayor Jacob Mafume confirmed plans to retrain officers after Parliament approved new powers for the unit to arrest, investigate and prosecute.
Under the proposed Municipal and Courts Bill principles, local authorities will be able to deal directly with minor offences, traffic violations and council by-law breaches, instead of referring everything to ZRP.
Speaking to this publication, Mayor Mafume welcomed the legislative change but said internal reforms were needed first.
“It’s a welcome development that municipal police will now have arresting powers and access to courts. We applaud government for that,” Mafume said. “However, we have concerns about the conduct of some officers. There are bad apples and we will identify them. We are going to retrain the entire force.”
The mayor said rebuilding public confidence was a priority for a city of more than 3 million residents.
“There is a trust deficit among citizens and we are working to restore it at all costs,” he said. “You cannot police a city this size on persuasion alone. We have by-law issues that need firm but professional handling.”
Mafume expressed confidence in the current command structure, noting that the Municipal Police is led by former assistant commissioner Obey Law Moyo, previously a deputy director in the ZRP’s Commercial Crimes Unit. He also named acting chamber secretary Ernest Mushava and acting town clerk Warren Sean Chiwawa as key officials supporting the process.
He cautioned officers against abuse of power.
“If you detain someone illegally, you can be sued,” he warned.
What will be enforced
Council listed dozens of offences drawn from existing Harare by-laws that officers will now act on directly.
On vending and hawking, action will be taken against selling food or goods without a permit, trading outside designated zones, and breaching permit conditions. The list also includes hawking without a licence, operating in prohibited areas, failing to keep moving, and employing unlicensed hawkers.
Noise complaints will be targeted under the 1973 Noise By-Laws. That covers loud advertising, shouting, horns and whistles in public, and the use of lawn or hedge cutters in residential areas outside permitted hours of 8am to 2pm and 4pm to 6pm. Keeping noisy animals that disturb neighbours is also included.
At the Long Distance Omnibus Terminus, buses that skip entrance fees, load in wrong areas, overstay, or enter when the station is full will be penalised. So will drivers who use wrong entry and exit points, fail to produce road service permits, park outside bays, or wash and repair vehicles inside the station.
Pushcart operators without licences, and those operating in the CBD, near stadiums, service lanes or fuel stations, will be moved. Obstructing pavements and roads with carts is also an offence.
For cleanliness, the 2016 Anti-Litter By-Laws will be used against dumping in public spaces. Businesses must clear litter from their areas and provide bins. Property owners will be held to account under the Road Verges By-Laws to maintain verges, shrubs, and to avoid dumping or cutting trees without Council approval.
Environmental regulations prohibit sand and gravel extraction without permission, cultivation along riverbanks and dams, and cutting trees without authority.
Food safety will focus on uninspected meat, backyard slaughtering, unregistered game meat sales, and transporting meat in unapproved vehicles. Business premises must display valid licences. Selling food from unlicensed kitchens, cutting hair in the street, and operating liquor outlets without a licence or outside hours are also on the list.
Traffic rules to be enforced include parking vehicles on roads for sale or repair, and cycling on footpaths instead of cycle lanes. Cyclists must display a licence disc. Bringing animals into people’s markets without permission, and erecting or occupying shanties without Council approval, are also offences.
Council said officers will issue tickets and, where appropriate, impound goods. Residents and traders have been urged to regularise their permits and licences before patrols intensify in the CBD, markets, residential suburbs and transport hubs.