A FEW days ago, a disturbing video surfaced showing commuter omnibuses driving along the pavements of First Street in Harare’s central business district.
Not the road.
The pavement.
Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono captured the national mood when he wrote on X: “This is truly sad to watch. It is truly heartbreaking to watch. But as I always say, we can only watch until the day we decide that enough is enough. This does not affect people based on partisanship. It affects every Hararian and every Zimbabwean who took pride in their capital city.
“First Street is the equivalent of places like Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg, St George’s Mall in Cape Town, Oxford Street in London and Times Square pedestrian zones in New York, iconic urban spaces where cars are restricted so that people, commerce, and city life can breathe.”
The comparison stings because it is true.
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First Street was designed as a pedestrian sanctuary — a place for shoppers, families, vendors and city life to coexist without the chaos of engines and exhaust fumes.
Today, it has become a symbol of collapse.
The lawlessness unfolding on Harare’s streets is no longer incidental.
It is systemic.
Commuter omnibuses and pirate taxis routinely drive against traffic with impunity.
They load and off-load passengers in the middle of busy roads, often facing oncoming vehicles.
On the other hand, pedestrians add to the chaos.
They cross wherever they please, ignoring designated crossing points.
The culture of jaywalking is now so entrenched that it feels normal.
But this is not normal.
It is evidence of a city where enforcement has evaporated and order has surrendered.
Urban decay does not begin with crumbling buildings.
It begins with the breakdown of rules.
When pavements become highways, when traffic lights become suggestions and when road signs are treated as decoration, the message is clear: there are no consequences.
Harare is not suffering from a shortage of by-laws, but that of leadership.
Where is the municipal police?
Where is the traffic enforcement strategy?
Where is the visible authority that reassures residents and visitors alike that someone is in charge?
Instead, what we see is paralysis.
City fathers appear asleep in their offices while the capital city descends into organised chaos.
Meetings are held. Statements are issued. Yet on the ground, disorder reigns.
The tragedy is that this is not about partisanship.
It is about basic urban dignity.
Every Hararian — regardless of political affiliation — feels the embarrassment of watching their capital city reduced to a free-for-all.
Cities reflect national character.
When Harare’s most iconic pedestrian street becomes a taxi rank and a traffic lane, it signals something deeper than
congestion.
It signals a breakdown in civic pride and governance.
Restoring order will require more than sporadic
crackdowns.
It demands consistent enforcement, proper commuter omnibus ranks, functional traffic management systems and political
will.
Above all, it requires city authorities to treat urban management as a priority, not an afterthought.
Harare cannot aspire to world-class status while tolerating third-world disorder.
Enough watching, it is now time for action.