The Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust (ZNOART) has welcomed Cabinet’s approval of the Municipal Police and Courts Bill, describing it as a landmark reform with the potential to strengthen municipal governance and improve service delivery.
In a statement, ZNOART chairman Shepherd Shalvar Chikomba said the Bill, which seeks to strengthen the enforcement of local authority by-laws, is long overdue.
“As an organisation representing the interests of residents nationwide, ZNOART believes that the establishment of professional municipal police services is long overdue,” he said.
Chikomba said across many jurisdictions worldwide, municipal police play an essential role in maintaining order, protecting public infrastructure, enforcing local by-laws, managing traffic and complementing national law enforcement agencies.
He said Zimbabwe should embrace the reform to strengthen local governance under the constitutional devolution framework.
While the organisation fully supports the principle of empowering local authorities, Chikomba said expanded powers under the proposed legislation must be accompanied by robust safeguards to protect residents’ constitutional rights and promote professionalism, accountability and public confidence.
Its principal recommendation is that arresting powers should not be automatically extended to every municipal police officer.
Instead, he said, the legislation should establish a Special Municipal Enforcement Unit comprising officers who meet clearly defined recruitment standards and undergo specialised professional training before being entrusted with powers of arrest.
ZNOART said the Act should clearly provide for defined entry qualifications for officers serving in the unit; comprehensive training in criminal law, municipal law, constitutional rights, human rights, investigations, conflict resolution, public relations and ethics; national competency standards, certification and continuous professional development; standard operating procedures governing arrests, investigations and the lawful use of force; independent oversight, complaints handling and disciplinary mechanisms; and merit-based, transparent and non-partisan recruitment processes.
Chikomba said recent incidents involving some municipal police officers had understandably raised concerns among residents, but said these isolated cases should not derail an important national reform.
“Rather, they reinforce the need for improved recruitment, rigorous training, stronger supervision and effective accountability systems,” he said.
He said that if properly structured, municipal police will complement the Zimbabwe Republic Police by focusing on municipal responsibilities such as by-law enforcement, traffic management, environmental protection, safeguarding public infrastructure and promoting orderly, safe and clean communities.
Chikomba said the introduction of municipal courts also presents an opportunity to improve the efficient handling of by-law offences and minor municipal cases, thereby enhancing access to justice and strengthening compliance with local authority regulations.
“Zimbabwe deserves municipalities that are clean, orderly, secure and professionally managed. This legislation has the potential to become a significant milestone in improving urban governance, provided that professionalism, accountability, transparency and respect for human rights remain at its core,” he said.
ZNOART called on Parliament, Government, local authorities and all stakeholders to ensure the Bill incorporates the safeguards before it is enacted into law.
“Strong laws must always be matched by strong accountability. Municipal policing should protect residents, uphold the rule of law and improve service delivery,” Chikomba said.
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