By Zachary Gava
Harare, (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe government has approved the Municipal Police and Courts Bill, a landmark piece of legislation expected to enhance the enforcement of local by-laws, improve community safety and expand access to justice across urban and rural local authorities across the country.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Zhemu Soda, said the Bill, presented by Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, who is the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation, seeks to modernize the legal framework governing local authorities.
He said the proposed law builds on existing provisions of the Urban Councils Act and the Rural District Councils Act, which already empower local authorities to formulate and enforce regulations within their jurisdictions.
“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 regulations of matters falling within their jurisdiction,” he said.
Soda said the Bill is designed to strengthen governance by equipping local authorities with coordinated enforcement structures capable of effectively addressing violations of municipal by-laws.
“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,” he said.
Under the proposed legislation, municipalities will be empowered to establish dedicated and professional municipal police services responsible for community safety, traffic management, enforcement of council by-laws and local crime prevention.
“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,” Minister Soda said, adding it also provides for the establishment of municipal courts to expedite the handling of matters falling under local authority jurisdiction.
According to Soda, the legislation also provides for the definition of the courts’ jurisdiction, including over municipal by-laws, minor offenses, and traffic violations; and the appointment of municipal magistrates, among other matters prescribed by the law.
He added that the reforms are expected to deepen the devolution agenda by enhancing the capacity of local governance institutions to respond to community needs.
“Accordingly, local governance structures will be enhanced in line with the constitutional Devolution principles and improved public safety and environmental management outcomes,” he said.
The Municipal Police and Courts Bill is expected to improve compliance with local authority regulations, speed up the resolution of municipal cases, strengthen environmental management and create more responsive local governance systems, in line with the Government’s broader decentralization and service delivery objectives.
New Ziana
