Car not so Safe

Several motorists, including visiting tourists, have complained that Car Safe is illegally clamping their vehicles in the designated parking lot at the Harare International Airport. The Zimbabwean witnessed a Chinese diplomats vehicle being clamped in the designated parking lot, with the official being forced to pay US$50 in clamping fees, despite protesting to managers of the parking company.

Vehicle clamping gone mad

The diplomat, who had come to collect a delegation from China, said the action by the company was not good for Zimbabwes image at a time when it is expected to benefit from World Cup visitors. They just clamped my vehicle on flimsy allegations that my car was not parked straight enough. The parking bay is even half empty. This is daylight robbery, said the Diplomat.

Several other people also had their vehicles clamped and were forced to pay fees ranging from US$20 to US$50. There is not even a notice warning that vehicles parked in the designated parking lot can be liable for clamping. Why do they charge us parking fees and then go ahead and clamp our vehicles? complained another motorist who was forced to fork out US$20 in fines.

Some also complained that workers responsible for the clamping were demanding bribes to have the clamps unlocked at a lower rate, while others said they had found their vehicles vandalised, allegedly by the workers.

A Zimbabwe Revenue official stationed at the Airport said only the Civil Aviation of Zimbabwe (CAZ) was authorised to clamp vehicles in properly marked designated clamping and tow away zones.

Where does the money go?

He said the company was illegally clamping the vehicles, saying the funds collected were not being remitted to treasury. We have received numerous reports of motorists having their vehicles clamped, but what is surprising is that none of the money collected by the company through clamping has been remitted to ZIMRA, said the official.

He said preliminary investigations had revealed that the money collected through clamping was being shared by a few officials from the company, as well as some corrupt CAZ and Zanu (PF) officials who sanctioned the clamping without the approval of government.

However, Chris Chidzere, a Car Safe manager at the Harare International Airport, said that even if motorists complained, nothing would be done to the company as it was well connected.

You can go and complain wherever you want but nothing will be done to us, he boasted.

Parking is a money spinning venture at the Harare International Airport. The contract to run parking facilities at the Airport was controversially awarded without going to tender and a police investigation was blocked by senior government officials linked to the company.