Correspondent
The Harare Central Business District (CBD) and its adjacent areas have become a profitable hunting ground for bogus municipal officers who are brazenly clamping vehicles for the sole purpose of extorting money from unsuspecting motorists.
These unscrupulous individuals often prey on drivers who lack comprehensive knowledge of local traffic bylaws or the specific procedures for parking and fee payment.
The situation is exacerbated by the often exorbitant, arguably disproportionate, fines levied for even minor parking infractions, such as a lapsed parking ticket, which creates a highly lucrative environment for illicit activities and corruption.
A particularly alarming aspect of this clampdown scam is the involvement of individuals operating in plain clothes (sieve attire), impersonating legitimate traffic law enforcers and using fake identity cards.
These scammers flagrantly defy the clear legal stipulations that vehicles should not be clamped without a valid traffic ticket first being issued by an authorised, uniformed official. Motorists report being ambushed, often after business hours or in less conspicuous areas, by these bogus officers who invent arbitrary traffic violations, like illegal parking or running an unlicensed transport service, to justify the clamping.
Once a vehicle is immobilised, they aggressively demand bribes—often significantly less than the official, hefty fine—to release the car, pressuring the motorist to pay on the spot to avoid the lengthy and expensive process of having the vehicle towed to a central compound.
While City of Harare officials have publicly acknowledged the existence of these “bogus elements” and urged the public to report corrupt demands, the prevalence of the issue highlights a systemic challenge that continues to fleece the public and undermine faith in municipal law enforcement.
