Chamber Secretary Breathes Fire on Traffic Offenders

The Harare City Council robust Traffic Enforcement Section raked in over USD15 million dollars in 2024 after arresting offenders city by-laws.

During the period the traffic unit clamped and towed over 60 000 motor vehicles.

Speaking at Grand Parade of Traffic Enforcement Officers held at Les Brown swimming pool today, Chamber Secretary Mr Warren Chiwawa revealed that the city father’s are activating its robot traffic automation system to decongest and normalise traffic flow in the Central Business District.

He warned that enforcement officers from the city council are ready to pounce on any motorists violating city by-laws.

Chamber in poses for a group photo with council officials and traffic enforcement officers

He added that his office has empowered its units as a measure to curb corruption.

Mr Chiwawa said the current traffic flow in the city centre was now above two million and they saw it fit to upgrade its systems.

“As Harare City Council we work with other relevant stakeholders in bringing sanity in the city centre.

“Our automation system is part of our raft measures we implementing to restore order around Harare.

“The system is going nab motorists who are violating city by-laws and national traffic laws.

“Those operating vehicles without putting on seat belts, encroaching road carriage markings, unregistered vehicles and unlawful parking of vehicles will be nabbed,” said Mr Chiwawa.

He said under the system has always be on the cards but was halted at advent of the Covid 19 pandemic.

“The system will see us bringing to at least 3 000 violators to book while our partners through camera, the police has also its own camera system that will apprehend 500 people in a week.

“We are restoring order and Harare City Council is not going back and all violators will be brought to book,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion Mr Martin Chimombe revealed that council is revamping its systems to bring swift flow of traffic around Harare.

Harare City Council, Traffic Enforcement officers on parade

“In 2024, the Traffic Enforcement Section has attained a positive impact in terms of results with an increase of more than five hundred percent (500 percent) in penalty notices. “The vehicle clamped and towed in 2024 were 61 132 amounts realized from all penalty notices were RTGs 9 754, 066, 379, 80, ZIG210, 483, 539,94 and US$9 942 915.50,” said Mr Chimombe.

He said the section should increase the enforcement base and techniques by decentralization and automation.
“Due to Ministerial Directive on robots to decongest the Central Business District, (80) eighty officers were deployed to various controlled and non-controlled (intersections and robots) and it gives a positive impact.

“The statistics from January to June 2024 performance had a total of 27 735 and so far the section has clamped a total of 26 650 as compared to this year decrease with 1 085 despite of political convulsion. “The argument we wish to advance is that more revenue can be accrued given resources (the purchase of heavy tow vehicles) has this report,” he said.