Municipal Reporter
The Harare City Council has resolved to create a company that will run its parking business while waiting for the finalisation of its dispute with Easihold (Pvt) Limited of South Africa.

Easihold is currently in charge of collecting parking fees in the capital’s central business district, but in a clear sign that council wants out of the marriage, the city’s business committee recently got approval to set up a parking company called City Parking.
According to minutes of a meeting held on June 21 this year, the new company will install parking meters in areas that are currently not under the supervision of Easihold’s Easipark.

The city has already sourced US$700 000 to kick start the operations of City Parking while a high-level team will be touring South Africa to “evaluate the equipment to be used” by the new enterprise.
“While awaiting the conclusion of the Easipark Harare issue (that is the termination of the joint venture agreement between City of Harare and Easihold Limited of South

Africa on parking business in the city) council approves the installation of the on-street parking meters by the City Parking starting in the areas not covered by the existing joint venture agreement with Easihold of South Africa,” reads part of the minutes.
“A tour to South Africa had been arranged for an official from the Business Development Unit as well as an engineer from the Department of Engineering Services to evaluate the equipment to be used before implementation. The committee also noted that the company would be utilising the Trafalgar Court offices for its operations

and that uniforms would be sky blue for both males and females. The logo of the company would be the rising sun.”

Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda has urged city councillors to be calm so that the dispute between council and Easihold, the company contracted to provide parking facilities in the city, has been resolved.

The councillors have been pushing for the cancellation of the joint venture, arguing the city has not benefited from the arrangement.