BCC cracks whip on illegal after-hours activities in CBD

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

AMID escalating concerns over the proliferation of illegal activities in Bulawayo’s central business district (CBD) and the mess that it leaves on the pavements, the local authority is contemplating stringent measures to curb illicit business operations after 5pm.

With the city centre transforming into a bustling marketplace teeming with unauthorised vendors and activities, the local authority has partnered with Tendy Three Investments (TTI), the city’s parking firm to regulate commerce within specified hours.

However, as per the agreement, TTI’s operational window from 8am to 5pm during weekdays and limited hours on Saturdays has paved the way for unscrupulous individuals to exploit the void, perpetuating a shadow economy rife with contraband sales and unregulated commerce.

A stroll through the CBD during off-peak hours unveils a clandestine trade network thriving under the cover of darkness, blurring the lines between legitimate businesses and illicit enterprises.
However, in a bid to ensure order prevails during the odd hours, the local authority is working on regulations that will see them policing during these times.

Speaking during an operational update, officials from TTI and BCC revealed that they had noted that motorists were taking advantage of this loophole to break traffic and vending by-laws.

BCC senior security and traffic officer, Mr Ndumiso Ndlovu said they had noted that several motorists and individuals were now taking advantage of the fact that TTI stopped operating at 5pm to descend on the CBD and violate traffic and vending by-laws, knowing that they would not be penalised.

He said they were now finalising some intervention measures — which he did not divulge — to police these after-hours operations.

“As a planning authority, we have deliberated on that and management has sat and looked into that. In so long, you will see some developments because you can tell that the economy of the city is going in a certain direction, we are seeing activities increasing in the evening, very soon.

“We definitely need to respond because we are mindful of a number of things; look at litter and garbage accumulation that happen after hours, look at dangers and threats that come in place because of those people who come to do various activities after hours, like braaing and operating gas stoves in the pavements. So, as a city we have to be pro-active, the plans are now in place, all we are doing now is gathering the resources,” said Mr Ndlovu.

The local authority’s senior security and traffic officer further clarified the offences that they were mainly regulating in their partnership with TTI.

“There are two issues, we sell parking space to the motoring public, within bays which are marked by white boundary lines then we also deal with violations, which include people who park within yellow lines, cycling bays, ambulance bays, where it is written no parking, some even driving the wrong way in the roads service lanes, some just stop on the centre of the road.

“All these violations necessitate clamping. However, the manner of the clamping differs, there are some offences where when you commit it, we give you up to two hours to pay your fines but for any offence to do with parking that causes obstruction we urgently remove that vehicle because we need other motorists to use that particular road,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said they also had in their radar, long distance bus operators, especially those plying the Bulawayo-Johannesburg route, who took advantage of the lack of bus towing vehicles to violate traffic by-laws when they were loading.

“With the South Africa-bound buses, we are facing problems where they are violating traffic regulations in the manner they park their buses taking over centre lanes. They are being clamped regularly but are taking advantage of the fact that we cannot tow them.

“These operators pay their fines towards the times when they are meant to depart, knowing that we will be obligated to unclamp them, in terms of the law. However, very soon it will be a thing of the past because plans are underway to have those buses loading from one place, in not so long, we will have a cleaner city,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Commenting on the remarks by Mr Ndlovu to increase policing issues in the evening, Bulawayo United Residents’ Association (Bura) chairperson, Mr Winos Dube said it was an essential move to maintain order within the CBD.

“We understand that most of our residents are now in the informal sector but even that sector has to be regulated. It becomes unfortunate when we use the informal sector as an excuse to break the city by-laws.

“Even the manner with which the SA-bound buses are operating, there is a need for council to also look into this and ensure order prevails and we maintain cleanliness, remember Bulawayo in the early 1990s was adjudged as one of the cleanest cities on the African continent,” said Mr Dube.