By Staff Reporter

LOCAL government minister July Moyo has appointed a team to investigate operations of the Harare City Council and its subsidiary company City Parking.

This comes after council gave City Parking marshals authority to clamp and fine traffic offenders as a way to decongest the Central Business District (CBD).

In a letter written to the spatial planning and development department, Moyo said all the costs will be paid for by city council.

The issues that are being investigated are parking fees, average daily collection levels, shareholding structure between council and city parking, the role of municipal traffic police in parking, the relationship, if any, between police  Harare Traffic and city parking.

“As provided for in section 313 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29: 15) and as read with ministry circulars regarding deployment of investigation teams, City of Harare will bear the costs of the investigation, which I expect you to complete within 10 (ten) working days, whereupon you shall compile a report of your findings for my consideration within five working day,” Moyo said.

Meanwhile drivers in the CBD have complained about how they were not able to pay their parking fees due to malfunctioning payment systems only to have their vehicles clamped and fined US$130.