Harare- Harare mayor councillor Jacob Mafume said they have launched an investigation into allegations of corruption within the municipal police.
This follows complaints from vendors and informal traders who claim that they are being harassed and forced to pay bribes.
He said the council’s Vision 2025, to become a world-class city by that year, now hangs in the balance.
Speaking at a public safety division master parade, Mafume explained that the city’s mission was to “create committed teams to provide first-class service delivery and promote a conducive environment for investment through stakeholder participation and the creation of high-performance teams”.
However, he claimed that if the city does not address its current challenges, the mission statement “will remain a paper tiger.”
He said:
“The mission of this strategic plan is framed as the creation of committed teams to provide first-class service delivery and promoting a conducive environment for investment through stakeholder participation and the creation of high-performance teams.
“Both the vision and mission statement will remain paper tigers if these challenges are not attended to, and something has to be done to transform Harare from a third world city into a world-class city with a well-oiled, coordinated and functional infrastructure with abundant opportunities for its citizens.
“The absence of security gadgets such as CCTVs, radio communication, trackers, modern firearms, buses and lorries is frightening.”
Informal traders have been complaining about the corruption within the municipal police.
They also blame the Council for failing to provide them with designated vending points or markets from where to trade their wares.
In a statement, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Committee chairperson, Denford Ngadziore, said Council had seen fit to probe its own police after the outcry from vendors across the city over allegations of demands for bribes.
“We have instructed the responsible department to investigate various crimes by Harare Municipal Police.
“It is alleged that some have been collecting US$20, US$50 up to US$80 bribes from vendors despite the new SMEs policy in place that goods cannot be confiscated from vendors without being recorded.
“All the confiscated goods, except perishables, should be accounted for.” – H Metro
