By Loyd Matare
Harare City Council has moved to tighten measures against vandalism and chronic funding gaps crippling traffic lights and street lighting in the central business district (CBD).
The City of Harare has for long endured broken traffic lights and dark streets, a situation residents now concede has been worsened by poor management at local level.
Speaking during the 1943rd ordinary council meeting yesterday, Harare Mayor cllr Jacob Mafume said the city was under mounting pressure from residents especially Zimbabweans in the diaspora over the persistent failure of traffic lights, prompting proposals to ring-fence parking revenue for street lighting and to pursue vandals through the police.
He said criticism on social media had intensified, with residents openly comparing Harare unfavourably to cities abroad where traffic lights function reliably.
“I’m being lambasted and now people from the diaspora will be back home. They are used to functional traffic lights where they are coming from,” Mafume said.
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“They blast me day and night on my Twitter account. For now, I can’t go on my Twitter because of that.”
Ward 16 Councillor Denford Ngadziore, who also chairs the Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Committee, in his contribution called for tougher action against vandalism, urging the council to push for a clear legal framework to hold offenders accountable.
“There should be a law to ensure that those who vandalise traffic lights are brought to book.
“I am not sure how this should be done, but the relevant committees (Finance and Town Planning) must find a way to work together, communicate effectively, and address the issue,” Ngadziore said.
Responding to the concerns, Mafume said council would work closely with the Zimbabwe Republic Police to track incidents linked to the destruction of traffic infrastructure.
“Our traffic should go to police every week to check on records for accidents so that those destroying our infrastructure, we must then bill that person,” Mafume said.
“We’ll ask the traffic police department so that they start immediately.”
Mafume said weekly reports would be used to follow up on cases of vandalism and to establish whether offenders have insurance that can cover the damage caused.
“We must make sure that every week we get a report and follow up on those vandalising property, do checks if they have any insurances so that they do pay for the damage they are doing to the city’s infrastructure,” he said.
