Harare City Council is entrusted with delivering essential services and enforcing municipal by-laws in the public interest. However, a string of recent incidents involving council employees and municipal police has raised serious questions about professionalism, judgment and the institution’s commitment to serving residents with dignity and respect.
The latest incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, showed a City of Harare employee slapping a woman during an altercation. The footage sparked widespread condemnation, prompting the City Council to suspend the employee pending a disciplinary hearing. While the suspension was a necessary first step, the incident exposed a deeper concern about discipline and professionalism within the local authority.
This was not an isolated controversy.
The public was equally disturbed by the incident in which council officials clamped a woman’s vehicle as she desperately tried to rush her son, who reportedly required oxygen support, to hospital. Whatever the circumstances surrounding the parking violation, enforcement should never come at the expense of compassion. Municipal officers must be empowered to exercise discretion when human life is at stake.
Another disturbing incident involved municipal police using a woman carrying a child during an operation targeting traffic offenders. Such enforcement methods unnecessarily expose innocent civilians to danger and raise serious ethical questions about operational procedures.
Residents have also repeatedly witnessed municipal police engaging in dangerous pursuits of commuter omnibuses through busy streets. These high-speed chases place pedestrians, passengers and other motorists at significant risk. Law enforcement should never create the very danger it seeks to prevent.
No one disputes the importance of enforcing municipal by-laws. Illegal parking, unregistered public transport and other offences must be addressed. However, the manner in which those laws are enforced is just as important as the laws themselves. Professionalism, restraint and respect for human dignity should guide every interaction between council employees and the public.
Harare deserves a municipal police service that is disciplined, well-trained and accountable. Council officers should be known for protecting lives, resolving disputes professionally and serving residents—not for becoming the subject of viral videos that damage the reputation of the institution they represent.
The City Council must invest in continuous training on customer care, conflict management, ethics, human rights and emergency response. It should also strengthen internal oversight to ensure misconduct is dealt with swiftly and transparently, while rewarding officers who demonstrate exemplary service.
Restoring public confidence will require more than suspensions after incidents occur. It demands a cultural shift that places professionalism, empathy and accountability at the heart of municipal service.
Harare is the nation’s capital. Its residents deserve a council whose actions reflect the highest standards of public service. The time has come for Harare City Council to restore professionalism—not only to rebuild its image, but to reaffirm its duty to the people it serves.This version is firm, fact-based, and avoids making claims beyond what has been publicly established, while making a strong case for reform.
