Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has banned the use of push carts within the city centre while motorists who tamper with wheel clamping equipment will face a one-year jail term.
This is contained in the BCC (clamping and tow away) by-laws 2023 which has been approved by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The new by-law is contained in Statutory Instrument (SI) 220 of 2023 which repeals SI 63 of 2015 in line with the Urban Councils Act chapter 29:15.
The development will likely set the local authority on a collision course with pushcart operators who eke out a living by transporting goods for vendors and other residents across the city for a small fee.
“Pushcarts shall not be allowed in the part of the central business area bounded by Nelson Kutshwekhaya (N.K.) Ndlovu Avenue, Lobengula Street, Joseph Msika Avenue and R. Mugabe Way, any violation will attract a level 1 fine plus impounding costs,” reads Section 7(5) of the by-law.
The new by-law also imposes a stiff penalty on motorists who “unlawfully attempts to remove, removes or causes to be removed a wheel clamp; or unlawfully attempts to remove, removes or causes to be removed a motor vehicle from a secure compound; shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 3 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
In addition, the abandoned vehicles or motor vehicles and trailers will be given a 10 days’ notice to be removed, failure to which council shall tow them to a secure compound at a cost to the owner.
“Abandoned motor vehicle shells and wracks, those with punctured tyres, parked in council bays or any council and unlicensed in terms of the Road Traffic Act [Chapter 13:11] shall be regarded as dirt and nuisance and removed immediately to a secure compound without notification at a cost to the owner.”
Vehicles in a dirty and filthy state and not displaying valid license discs will be immediately removed from the road or any area under the jurisdiction of the at a cost to the owner.
