Cabinet approves Bill to expand municipal police powers and establish municipal courts
Buhlebenkosi Nkomo
Cabinet has approved the principles of the Municipal Police and Courts Bill, which seeks to give municipal police across Zimbabwe powers to arrest, investigate and prosecute offenders who violate local authority by-laws.
The proposed legislation was presented to Cabinet by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, as part of efforts to strengthen the enforcement of council by-laws and improve local governance.
Under the proposed law, municipal police would be empowered to arrest people accused of contravening council by-laws, investigate such offences and prosecute cases through dedicated municipal courts.
A statement from the information ministry says; “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. 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.”
At present, municipal police are largely limited to issuing tickets and referring suspected offenders to the Zimbabwe Republic Police for further action. This has often constrained the enforcement of council by-laws relating to offences such as illegal vending, littering, public urination and the operation of unregistered or unlawful public transport services.
The Bill also proposes the establishment of municipal courts to hear less serious by-law offences. The courts are intended to deal with matters such as illegal trading and littering, while allowing the mainstream court system to focus on more serious criminal cases.
According to the Cabinet decision, the legislation builds on existing laws that empower local authorities to make by-laws but seeks to strengthen their enforcement by granting municipal police broader legal powers.
If Parliament passes the Bill and it is signed into law, municipal police would be able to enforce council regulations without depending on the Zimbabwe Republic Police, a move the Government says is expected to improve compliance with local by-laws and enhance service delivery by local authorities.
