Harare officials slammed fake news reports about parking charges that had residents worried. The city council called the media story completely wrong and mean-spirited. Local newspapers claimed officials wanted drivers to pay fees around the clock instead of just during daytime hours. City leaders said they never talked about such plans and the whole thing was made up. The council promised to tell people directly if any parking rules change.
The false story spread like wildfire across social media platforms and got people angry. Newspapers said the city wanted to charge drivers from midnight to midnight instead of the current 8am to 4pm window. An unnamed city worker supposedly told reporters that downtown stays busy at night with bars and shops. The articles suggested the new fees would help reduce traffic jams and bring more money to the city. Officials completely denied these claims and said no such discussions ever happened.
Current parking costs one dollar per hour and many drivers already complain about the price. The fake news reports started on June 30 and the city responded three days later with a strong denial. Social media users shared the story thousands of times before officials could stop the panic. City spokesperson Stanley Gama could not be reached for additional comments. Officials promised that real policy changes would come through proper channels with public meetings first.
The false story spread like wildfire across social media platforms and got people angry. Newspapers said the city wanted to charge drivers from midnight to midnight instead of the current 8am to 4pm window. An unnamed city worker supposedly told reporters that downtown stays busy at night with bars and shops. The articles suggested the new fees would help reduce traffic jams and bring more money to the city. Officials completely denied these claims and said no such discussions ever happened.
Current parking costs one dollar per hour and many drivers already complain about the price. The fake news reports started on June 30 and the city responded three days later with a strong denial. Social media users shared the story thousands of times before officials could stop the panic. City spokesperson Stanley Gama could not be reached for additional comments. Officials promised that real policy changes would come through proper channels with public meetings first.
