Online Reporter
By Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu,[email protected]
GWANDA is tightening the screws! Council police are now in full force, patrolling the CBD and cracking down on illegal parking and rogue taxi operators using undesignated pick-up points.
The move is part of a bigger plan to whip the mining town into shape, and top of the list is the introduction of paid parking.
In an exclusive interview, Gwanda mayor Alderman Thulani Moyo revealed that the council has hit the ground running to enforce traffic by-laws and restore order.
“We’ve set the ball rolling. Our police are out there enforcing the rules. Anyone caught parking improperly or operating illegally will be fined. If we want investors to take us seriously, we must have a clean, orderly town,” said Mayor Moyo.
He confirmed that paid parking is on the cards, but the council is still weighing its options — whether to run the system in-house or partner with a private operator.
“Council has been losing valuable revenue due to non-enforcement of traffic by-laws. It’s time we fix that,” he said.
But Gwanda won’t be the first town to try it — and other cities show the road ahead could be bumpy.
Bulawayo, Harare, and Mutare have all introduced paid parking in recent years. While the move brought in much-needed revenue, it also sparked public outcry. In Bulawayo, motorists protested high charges and clamping chaos. Harare saw clashes between drivers and overzealous parking marshals, while in Mutare some drivers accused the system of being a “cash cow” that fails to improve service delivery.
Still, Gwanda is determined to press ahead. The message from City Hall is loud and clear: park properly, or pay the price!
