Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume says the City of Harare is yet to establish whether a woman featured in a viral social media post allegedly trapping by-law offenders is a municipal police officer.
Mafume made the remarks during the 1949th Ordinary Council Meeting while responding to concerns raised by Deputy Mayor and Ward 41 Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe over alleged undercover municipal police operations.
Kadzombe questioned the methods allegedly being used by municipal police officers to apprehend by-law offenders, saying the city should move away from what she described as “dirty methods” of enforcing council regulations.
The Deputy Mayor said municipal police officers should be easily identifiable through uniforms and badges, while the city should increasingly rely on closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems and other modern technologies to detect violations.
She argued that council should not resort to alleged undercover operations in which officers pose as ordinary members of the public to trap offenders.
The concerns follow the circulation of a social media post alleging that a woman employed by the City of Harare posed as a customer before municipal police officers arrested vendors at Fidel Castro Market in Chavakabereka.
Responding to the matter, Mayor Mafume said the city had not established whether the woman in question was indeed a municipal police officer.
“At the moment, we are unaware whether that woman is a municipal police officer or not because social media can create its own narratives,” Mafume said.
He said the council could not rely solely on information circulating on social media without verifying the facts.
Mafume, however, defended the enforcement of municipal by-laws, saying residents and businesses had a responsibility to comply with council regulations.
“It is not that council must encourage by-law offenders. Citizens must behave and make sure they obey the rules and laws governing the city,” he said.
The mayor said while concerns over enforcement methods had been raised, maintaining order and ensuring compliance with municipal by-laws remained an important responsibility of the local authority.
The social media allegations have sparked debate over the conduct of municipal police officers and whether undercover operations should be used in enforcing city by-laws.
The City of Harare has not officially confirmed whether the woman mentioned in the viral social media posts is employed by the municipality.
The matter is expected to receive further consideration by council as calls grow for greater transparency and clearer identification of municipal police officers during law enforcement operations.
