Minister probes opaque parking deal
BERTHA MASAMVU
Local Government Minister July Moyo has instituted a probe into the Harare City Council and City Parking deal amid suspicion it was entered into in an opaque manner.
The six-member probe team is expected to look into the issues of parking fees, average daily collection levels and shareholding structure between council and City Parking among others.
In a letter to one of the six who are tasked to investigate the deal, Moyo said he was expecting results after 10 days.
“You shall endeavour to establish the following issues: the role of the municipal traffic police in parking, relationship, if any, between the ZRP Harare Traffic and City Parking,” Moyo’s letter reads.
“As provided for in section 313 of the Urban Councils Act and as read with the 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 working days, whereupon you shall compile a report of your findings for my consideration within five working days,” the letter dated March 2, 2023 reads in part.
The letter was copied to Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Tafadzwa Muguti and Acting Town Clerk Mabhena Moyo.
There have been complaints over the behaviour of parking marshals who are accused of “hiding” only to surface to clamp vehicles, a move observers said was unprofessional and abusive.
Others called the local authority to act and institute online payments and other modern methods.
