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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU City Council (GCC) says it collected about $4,5 million in parking revenue generated in the past three months.

GCC, in partnership with City Parking (Pvt) Limited, rolled out an automated pre-paid parking system to replace the manual system that has long been condemned by motorists as open to abuse by council employees.

The new electronic system started operating in April with City Parking assuming responsibility for managing parking and traffic in the central business district.

The new system, council said, was put in place to plug revenue leakages, as payments now reflect in real time.
Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said the $4,5 million dividend is an indication of a successful public-private partnership.

“In the past three months, we received about $4,5 million from City Parking as our dividend from parking revenue in and around the central business district,” said Clr Makombe.

He said the dividend was more than what council’s now defunct parking department used to cash in.

“To be honest, this partnership with City Parking is really an improvement. We used to collect plus or minus $400 000 per month and that figure was not even enough to cover our expenses like fuel and salaries. But with what we are getting now, it has increased and there’re no expenses on our side. So, we are getting all that as net, with no expenses,” he said.

Clr Makombe said there were loopholes in the parking department billing system and seven employees were actually charged with fraud.

Most of them, he said, resigned, while some have appealed.

“From the positives we’re getting from the City Parking partnership, it means there were loopholes with funds being channelled elsewhere. We knew it and that’s why we decided to go the City Parking route. There had been a lot of loopholes and connivance among our employees and motorists,” said Clr Makombe.

He said they have since written to the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ministry requesting a forensic audit in the city’s financial systems.

Clr Makombe said they were looking for more partnerships with the private sector to steer the city towards sustainable revenue inflows.

“GCC is seeking partnerships in quarry mining, Go-Beer brewery resuscitation and other possible ventures,” he said.
Meanwhile, City Parking has increased street parking fees to $100 from $80 per hour.

The increase was effective from October 1, according to a statement from City Parking.

Most motorists now park their vehicles along Fifth Avenue next to the Gweru Police Traffic Charge Office, at the Pick n Pay customers parking or outside the CDB and walk into town.

This has resulted in decongestion of the CBD.