CITY Parking, the company managing parking fees across 6 700 bays in Harare’s Central Business District (CBD), has diversified its operations by venturing into systems development, managing director Simon Muzviyo revealed this week.
He highlighted the benefits Harare has enjoyed since privatising its parking operations and emphasised the firm’s growing technological footprint.
The diversification forms part of several strategic initiatives disclosed by Muzviyo, which include expanding City Parking’s management services to Gweru.
Before diversifying, City Parking faced challenges remitting royalties for licensed technologies from a firm based in Israel.
To overcome this, the company acquired a systems development firm now driving its technology-based operations.
Muzviyo said the firm aims to aggressively market its new solutions beyond parking management, tapping into a technology-driven market.
During a recent engagement with editors, he explained that City Parking had developed the technology powering its operations — from handheld machines used by marshals for collecting fees and fines to an integrated backend system.
“We are now in full time systems development as part of our growth strategy,” Muzviyo said. “We pride ourselves as a guru in systems development.”
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A typical tech-based parking management system includes components such as a centralised platform for fee collection, permit management, and enforcement.
Such platforms are often cloud-based, allowing remote access and scalability. They may also feature payment terminals, parking sensors, mobile apps, cameras, and automatic licence plate recognition systems — many of which are already in use at City Parking.
“We started operations in Gweru in 2021,” Muzviyo said.
“Our collection for two days in Gweru was equivalent to one month’s remittances that they collected as a council.
“Three months down the line, they started to bring yellow equipment,” he said, referring to the equipment required for fee collection operations.
Muzviyo said 30% of City Parking’s revenue is remitted to the City of Harare, which owns 100% of the business.
Another 15% goes to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, while about 30% is allocated to the company’s 500 employees.
The recent engagement with editors was part of City Parking’s efforts to enhance transparency following scrutiny from Parliament.
Last year, the company clarified that it operates as a private entity, exempt from oversight under the Public Finance Management Act.
Muzviyo made this disclosure during an appearance before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts, led by Chalton Hwende.
However, lawmakers questioned the rationale behind the City of Harare creating a private company to collect parking revenue.
“We do not deny that we are liable to scrutiny, hence our presence here, but it is through the shareholder,” Muzviyo said.
“If council takes over City Parking (directly, the company) will not survive.”
The committee also raised concerns over complaints about the absence of parking marshals on some bays.
“There has been a lot of outcry from the motoring public which started from February 2023, that is when we were assigned and delegated enforcement powers,” Muzviyo said.
He clarified the company’s policy, which requires parking marshals to attend to motorists promptly, allowing a 15-minute grace period after parking before any enforcement action is taken.
After that window, vehicles may be clamped if payments are not made.
Motorists are also given a 30-minute grace period after their parking time expires to move their cars or face clamping.
Once a fine is paid, Muzviyo said, vehicles are expected to be unclamped within 10 minutes unless unforeseen issues arise.
