The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
In almost every suburb in the capital, there is always an area that looks like a car museum, which is usually fenced off with barbed wire and improvised fence posts.
However, some areas are cordoned off by a wire mesh fence and neatly landscaped with gravel. Actually these areas are used either as car parks or car sales, and of late they have been mushrooming at an alarming rate in different towns and cities across the country.
The Harare City Council, for example, claims that the high-density suburb of Kuwadzana alone now has 57 illegal car parks, up from the previous 30.
And in the central business district (CBD) and surrounding areas, there are more than 100 car sales and car parks, of which only 60 are registered with council.
But that is not the only problem: In some instances, disused vehicles parked in these areas are hired out to sex workers or drug dealers.
Information gathered by The Sunday Mail Society reveals that where such practices are rampant, sex workers pay an average $50 for a 30-minute session with their clients.
“Some commercial sex workers resort to these disused cars . . . they cannot take their clients home or pay for expensive lodges,” said Marshall, who is employed as a security guard at a local car park.
Despite acknowledging the problem, local authorities seem reluctant to decisively deal with the growing menace.
Chitungwiza acting town clerk Dr Tonderai Kasu believes “it is high time that such activities come to an end”.
“The wanton disregard of council by-laws has witnessed the spiralling of illegal car parks and traffic obstruction to an alarming level, making life difficult for motorists. It is in this regard that council is strongly warning those conducting these illegal activities to cease forthwith.
“If there is failure to heed this call, the perpetrators are going to be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
But similar warnings have fallen on deaf ears in the past. Government has, however, decided to step in. A committee has since been set up to conduct a blitz on illegal car parks and car sale operations.
The team is already on the ground.
“As Local Government, we have instructed the city councils to immediately stop issuing leases for car parks and car sales and also to cancel all leases issued against the law,” said Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister Marian Chombo.
She said preliminary investigations by the committee show that most of the areas were illegally parcelled out.
“We have some individuals in the estates department that are being fingered in the shady deals. Culprits who have been illegally issuing these leases will be charged with abuse of office, which is a criminal offence.
“Government intends to bring back law and order in Harare Metropolitan Province and all other provinces, so we are descending on all the criminals.”
Government believes that some of the businesses are being used to launder proceeds from illegal activities such as gold smuggling and illegal foreign currency transactions, among others. Deputy Minister Chombo added: “We are working with the Zimbabwe Republic Police to investigate the authenticity of every car sales business and their activities should match their tax declarations, revenues and lifestyles.”
Several Harare City Council officials have recently been arrested on corruption allegations involving land deals.
Among them are former Mayor Herbert Gomba, Cllrs Lovemore Makuwere, Costa Mande, Hammy Madzingira, former town clerk Hosiah Chisango, City town planner Samuel Nyabeze, Aaron Tayerera, who was then acting chief clerical officer, among others.
Most of the cases are still before the courts.
Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme said city by-laws need to be reviewed to successfully deal with the menace.
“Most of the car parks and car sales are operating from areas where traffic by-laws do not cover, hence council cannot take action. However, we are now working together with Local Government, re-crafting our by-laws so that we have the powers to cover all areas and be able to restore sanity in Harare,” he said.
Council, he added, was in the process of reviewing the land allocation policy as part of the measures to clamp down on illegal operations.
Some car sales are worryingly encroaching municipal servitudes, especially land reserved for recreational parks and other social amenities.
Open spaces at shopping areas in high-density areas such as Chitungwiza, Highfield, Kuwadzana, Budiriro, Glen View, Kambuzuma and Mbare have been illegally converted into car parks.
In areas like St Marys, Sunningdale, Glen View 1 and Glen View 3, disused bus termini have also been converted by individuals into car parks at night.
“My parents used to grow maize on this space; it is our field which I later converted into a car park. I do not have a licence; I was not aware that I need to apply to council to run a car park,” said Chitungwiza-based Samuel, who has been operating a car park since 2006.
His space accommodates at least 40 cars, and is adjacent to his family home.
Samuel charges US$1 for overnight parking.
At Southerton Shops, a feud is brewing between residents and illegal car park and car sales’ operators.
“We are not happy with these activities; they are involved in all sorts of bad deeds . . .
“Last year we confronted some of them and asked to see their licences, but they could not produce any, and surprisingly council just turns a blind eye on all this,” fumed one of the residents.
Some churches have also even resorted to making extra cash by conveniently converting their premises into car parks at night.
Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said City of Harare needs to be tough.
“These car parks need regulation like any other area. We need sanity and it is only council and Local Government that can do that. Honestly, how do we end up with car sales in the CBD and yet they should be at the periphery of town?
“Something is not in order in the responsible offices. Poor town planning, incompetence and corruption are taking a toll,” he said.
For one to operate a car park or car sale, they apply for land from council.
The city council should in turn apply for a change of land use, which has to be signed by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works.
Without the minister’s approval, that lease is regarded as illegal.
