Harare Mayor Draws Criticism Over Motorist’s US$70 Fine Complaint

y Staff Reporter | Harare

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has come under scrutiny after appearing to dismiss a motorist’s complaint over two council fines totalling US$70, including a penalty issued after an unauthorised car wash allegedly took place while the vehicle was parked in the central business district. The motorist, who raised the matter through Crime Watch, said he had parked his vehicle along Inez Terrace, facing the Ximex parking lot, and paid for three hours of parking.

According to his account, he returned after about two hours and found two tickets attached to his vehicle, one imposing a US$20 penalty for car washing and another imposing a US$50 penalty for allegedly disposing of litter in a public place. The motorist said he was surprised by the car-washing charge because he had neither hired nor authorised anyone to wash his vehicle. “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,” he said.

He said a parking attendant told him that someone had been washing his vehicle and had subsequently been apprehended by council police.

However, the motorist questioned why he should be held responsible for the alleged offence if he had not requested the service. He said he approached council police seeking clarification but was allegedly told that they could not provide him with the identity of the person who had been washing the vehicle. The motorist further complained that attempts to challenge the fines through senior officials at Trafalgar Parking were unsuccessful.

He claimed he ultimately paid more than US$70 despite maintaining that he had neither committed nor authorised the alleged offences. He also questioned the payment arrangements, saying he was unable to settle the tickets at the location where they were issued and was instead directed to another payment point outside the central business district. “It is sad that vehicle owners are held responsible for the actions of someone they never hired or authorised to wash their car,” the motorist said.

Mafume responded to the complaint in a social-media post, but rather than addressing the specific questions about how responsibility for the alleged car washing was established, his response appeared to dismiss the motorist’s explanation. “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.

The remark has the potential to fuel further debate about how motorists are treated when disputing municipal fines, particularly where an alleged offence was committed by another person. At the centre of the complaint is a basic question of accountability: whether the owner or driver of a parked vehicle can reasonably be held responsible for conduct allegedly carried out by a third party without the owner's knowledge or consent.

The motorist's account, however, does not by itself establish whether the council's officers correctly issued the fines or whether the penalties were subsequently cancelled, upheld or paid under protest. Harare City Council has previously faced public pressure over enforcement measures in the CBD, including parking management, street trading, littering and other municipal offences. The controversy also comes amid wider efforts by the city to enforce municipal by-laws and improve cleanliness and order in central Harare.

For motorists, however, the incident highlights the importance of transparent enforcement procedures, including identifying the alleged offender, recording the circumstances surrounding an offence and providing an accessible mechanism for appealing disputed penalties. Neither the motorist's account nor the mayor's response, on their own, establishes whether the US$20 and US$50 penalties were lawfully imposed. The City of Harare would need to clarify the legal basis for the fines and explain what evidence is required before a vehicle owner can be held responsible for an offence allegedly committed by another person.

The matter has nevertheless triggered discussion online about municipal enforcement, motorists' rights and the relationship between city authorities and residents.

Harare mayor US$70 fine