City Of Harare Parking Crackdown: Clamps Over 100 Cars, Impounds Over 50 Per Day In 2025

City Of Harare Clamps Over 100 Cars, Impounds Over 50 Per Day In 2025

The City of Harare clamped over 40,000 vehicles and impounded more than 21,000 in a massive 2025 parking crackdown. New figures show enforcement teams averaged more than 100 clamps and 50 impounds per day, with the daily rate rising when Sundays and public holidays are taken into account.

City of Harare Chamber Secretary, Warren Chiwawa, disclosed the staggering statistics in an interview with The Herald on 19 December 2025. The data confirms a relentless, year-long enforcement drive targeting motorists, businesses, and vendors.

Shocking daily averages revealed

Chiwawa provided the raw annual numbers from the council’s intense campaign. The totals reveal a city under intense parking pressure.

He stated:

“Statistics show that 21 094 vehicles were impounded, while 40 038 were clamped.”

The council’s parking enforcement typically operates from 8 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays, with shorter hours on Saturdays. It does not operate on Sundays or public holidays. Analysing the period from 1 January to 18 December 2025, and excluding these non-operational days, leaves approximately 295 active enforcement days.

This compressed schedule reveals the true intensity of the crackdown. To meet the annual totals, teams averaged approximately 136 vehicles clamped and 72 vehicles impounded on every single operational day.

This far exceeds the simple annual daily average and highlights the concentrated pressure during council working hours.

Wider city blitz on businesses and vendors

The aggressive campaign extended far beyond parking offences. It formed a comprehensive blitz on various city by-law violations throughout the same period.

Chiwawa outlined the broader enforcement scope, revealing a parallel crackdown on the informal and formal business sector. He said:

“In the same time frame, 7 071 shop licence tickets were issued, 2 015 shops were closed for non-compliance and 15 068 vendors were arrested for operating illegally.”

The Chamber Secretary stated the primary goal was to restore order across Harare’s streets and markets. He claimed the strategy was delivering its intended results for the urban environment.

Chiwawa explained the perceived impact, stating:

“The effect of these enforcement efforts has been increased compliance by business and commuter operators.”

He added:

“This has encouraged a more orderly business environment in the city, although much is still to be done.”

He confirmed the programme had also enhanced the council’s revenue inflows. However, he did not disclose the specific financial totals from fines, impound fees, and licence penalties.