Municipal police across Zimbabwe are set to be granted powers to arrest, investigate and prosecute offenders who violate local authority by-laws after Cabinet approved the Municipal Police and Courts Bill.
If enacted by Parliament and assented to by the President, the Municipal Police and Courts Bill will give councils greater authority to enforce their regulations without relying exclusively on the national police.
Local authorities have been lobbying the government over the past years to grant this authority, in a bid to improve compliance with local by-laws across the country.
The Bill was presented to Cabinet by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi.
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In the post-cabinet briefing, Ziyambi said the proposed law seeks to strengthen the ability of local authorities to enforce their by-laws and improve service delivery.
“The public is informed that in line with the Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15] and the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13], local authorities are empowered to formulate and enforce regulation of matters falling within their jurisdiction,” Ziyambi said.
He said the current enforcement framework needed to be strengthened to promote better governance.
“In order to promote good governance, efficient service delivery and access to justice, local authorities require coordinated structures and strengthened municipal enforcement of by-laws to address issues of non-compliance, including apprehension of offenders of by-laws, investigation and prosecution of such offenses,” said Ziyambi.
At present, municipal police officers can issue tickets but largely depend on the Zimbabwe Republic Police to arrest offenders and institute criminal proceedings.
Ziyambi said the proposed legislation would change that by creating dedicated municipal police services with broader enforcement powers.
“The Bill strengthens the legal framework for municipalities to establish and maintain dedicated and professional police services focused on community safety, by-law enforcement, traffic management, and local crime prevention,” he said.
The Bill also proposes the establishment of municipal courts to deal specifically with local authority cases.
“Additionally, the Bill provides for the creation of municipal courts, definition of the courts’ jurisdiction, including over municipal by-laws, minor offenses, traffic violations; and the appointment of municipal magistrates, among other matters prescribed by the law,” said Ziyambi.
The proposed municipal courts are expected to handle offences such as illegal vending, littering, public urination, traffic infringements and other violations of council by-laws, reducing the burden on mainstream courts.
Ziyambi added that the reforms are aimed at strengthening devolution and improving the management of urban areas.
“Accordingly, local governance structures will be enhanced in line with the constitutional Devolution principles and improved public safety and environmental management outcomes,” he said.
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