Harare mayor scoffs at driver fined for littering and car washing

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has seemingly mocked a motorist who claimed he was fined US$20 for car washing and a further US$50 for allegedly disposing of litter in a public place.

The motorist, who expressed his frustration through Crime Watch, said he had no idea who had washed his car because he had not hired or authorised anyone to do so.

“So, I parked along Inez Terrace, facing the Ximex parking lot, and paid for three hours of parking. I returned after about two hours, only to find two tickets on my car: one with a US$20 penalty for car washing and another with a US$50 penalty for disposing of litter in a public place,” said the motorist.

“When I enquired with the parking attendant, I was told that someone had been washing my car and had been apprehended by the council police. However, the problem is that I never authorised or asked anyone to wash my car.

“I then approached the council police for clarification. Apart from being rude, they told me that it was not within their jurisdiction to disclose or properly document the identity of the person they claimed they had caught washing my car.

“I made several unsuccessful attempts to appeal the fines through senior staff at Trafalgar Parking’s headquarters. In the end, I lost more than US$70 over an offence that I did not commit, authorise or consent to.

“What is particularly frustrating is that I was not even able to pay the tickets at the same location. I was directed to another payment point all the way outside the CBD.

“It is sad that vehicle owners are held responsible for the actions of someone they never hired or authorised to wash their car.”

In response, Mafume appeared to dismiss the motorist’s explanation, suggesting that he was responsible for the offence and deserved to be fined.

“There was a time I used to reason like this with my wife. I now understand why she never believed me when I said I found passengers in my car without my consent,” Mafume wrote.