Parking magnates invaded Liberty Square

Alleged Zanu PF parking barons have taken over Robert Gabriel Mugabe Square, also known as Freedom Square, and turned it into a paid parking zone, NewsDay has learnt.

The square next to the Harare Magistrates Court has been a center of conflict between political parties which has led to different names being given to the vast open space.

Driving schools have also used the square to receive practical lessons when political parties do not use it for their rallies.

NewsDay investigations indicated that parking tycoons who claim to be linked to the ruling Zanu PF have become popular because they charge amounts lower than the parking fees charged by Harare City parking marshals.

The parking barons who appeared in the plaza late last year charge people $1 to park their vehicles all day.

Speaking to NewsDay, the parking barons said they were trying to live up to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s sentiments for Zimbabweans to take control of the country’s development, referring to Mnangagwa’s famous call Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo (One Nation is developed by its people).

Keep reading

One of the parking barons said it was an empowerment initiative.

“We started this initiative last year in October and our role is to ensure that people have a safe parking space. “We operate in a way that allows people to confidently leave their cars in our care when they go into town to run errands or go to work,” he said.

“In the event that there has been an accident or theft, it is our responsibility to contact the owner of the car and let them know what would have happened since they would have left us their contact.”

The parking barons, who appear to be making money by charging motorists avoiding chaos in Harare city centre, issue receipts or fines, indicating a well-organised syndicate.

They also recorded brisk business when parents and guardians besieged the square this week to send their children to boarding schools.

Contacted for comment, Zanu PF’s national spokesperson said he could not respond to queries because he was out of the country.

However, party general secretary Obert Mpofu said the matter should be handled by local authorities.

“That matter can only be referred to the council or the local government that is responsible for it and we cannot confirm or deny that these people are members of Zanu PF,” he said.

In an interview, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume told NewsDay that the city will not take the matter lightly and promised to accelerate action to ensure the council puts an end to the rise of unscrupulous parking magnates.

“That is daylight robbery and robbery, therefore we ask our boys to stop it immediately. If they are found wanting, they will be sent to the police to initiate criminal proceedings,” he said.

However, parking barons are a common sight on the streets of Harare, where the city council is losing millions of dollars in revenue.

Some of the parking spaces that have been taken over by parking barons include Harare’s busiest streets such as Nelson Mandela, Jason Moyo, George and Silundika Avenues, Chinhoyi Street and Mbare Musika.