Online Reporter
Peter Matika, [email protected]
STAKEHOLDERS have welcomed the proposed legislative reforms that will grant municipal police officers powers to apprehend offenders and enforce local authority by-laws, with city leaders and residents describing the move as a major step towards restoring order, improving service delivery and strengthening urban governance.
The proposed reforms are contained in the Municipal Police and Courts Bill, which was this week approved by Cabinet and will now proceed to Parliament for debate and consideration before it can become law.
The Bill, presented by the chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, seeks to strengthen the legal framework governing municipal policing while establishing dedicated municipal courts to deal with by-law offences, traffic violations and other minor cases.
According to a post-Cabinet briefing, the proposed legislation is designed to enhance governance, improve public safety, strengthen environmental management and provide local authorities with more effective enforcement mechanisms.
Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu said the proposed reforms are a progressive development that would significantly enhance the effectiveness of local authority police.
“The proposed Bill is a progressive development that will enhance the performance of local authority police and improve the manner in which our municipalities enforce their by-laws,” he said.
“However, it’s important to emphasise that Parliament has not yet approved the Bill, and we must allow the legislative process to take its course before implementation,” said Clr Ndlovu.
He said the proposed law would strengthen the council’s capacity to deal with persistent urban challenges such as illegal vending, indiscriminate dumping, littering, unauthorised trading, vandalism of public infrastructure and other municipal by-law violations.
“Ultimately, this will benefit residents through better service delivery and enhanced compliance with council by-laws,” he said.
“We call upon residents to accept these proposed changes with an open mind. The objective is not to intimidate citizens but to ensure that everyone plays their part in maintaining law and order within our communities.
“Cooperation between citizens and law enforcement agencies remains the cornerstone of effective local governance.”
The proposed legislation has also been welcomed by residents, who believe stronger enforcement powers will help restore order in Bulawayo’s central business district.
Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairman Mr Winos Dube said the Bill comes at a time when the city is grappling with increasing disorder, illegal vending and declining environmental standards.
“We welcome this proposed legislation because our central business district has deteriorated over the years due to illegal vending, littering and widespread disregard for municipal by-laws,” he said.
“Empowering municipal police officers with arresting powers will go a long way towards bringing sanity back to the CBD,” said Mr Dube.
He said the reforms would also help cultivate a culture of cleanliness and greater respect for municipal regulations.
“A clean city begins with responsible citizens. We believe these powers, if exercised professionally, fairly and within the confines of the law, will encourage residents and businesses to respect council by-laws while promoting a culture of cleanliness throughout the CBD. Equally important is continuous engagement with residents so that everyone appreciates the purpose of the proposed law,” he said.
The Bulawayo City Council has in recent years intensified operations against illegal vending, illegal structures, indiscriminate dumping and other by-law offences as it seeks to improve sanitation and restore order in the city.
However, municipal police officers have traditionally relied on the police to effect arrests where criminal offences were involved, a limitation that has often slowed enforcement operations.
