Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart says municipal police should be given powers to make arrests to help restore order in the city’s streets.
Coltart alleged that political interference and corruption are driving the growing disorder in urban areas.
He claimed that some political actors are undermining the council’s efforts to relocate street vendors while profiting from the chaos through alleged bribery, leaving local authorities unable to effectively enforce their bylaws.
“We have encountered quite shocking politics in this regard,” Coltart said.
“If you read your newspaper this past Sunday, you’ll see that the leader of a politically aligned group in our city was encouraging vendors not to relocate.”
“Those same people are the ones extracting bribes from vendors.”
Coltart said municipal police have been stripped of the powers needed to carry out their duties, resulting in what he described as a breakdown in the enforcement of law and order on the city’s streets.
He said the Zimbabwe Republic Police should work closely with municipal police while the government moves to grant council officers powers to make arrests.
Coltart welcomed Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe’s proposal to give municipal police arrest powers, describing it as a crucial step towards restoring respect for municipal by-laws.
However, he stressed that tougher enforcement must be accompanied by the provision of safe and attractive alternative trading spaces, arguing that restoring law and order should go hand in hand with protecting people’s livelihoods.
“Only then will we achieve the equitable balance we need in tackling this issue,” he said.
-ZiFM Stereo-
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