HARARE, Jul 8 (NewsDay Live- Mayor Jacob Mafume has come under fire from residents for allegedly trivialising service delivery issues by jokingly responding to concerns raised at a public meeting.
Mafume faced tough questions from residents during the first day of the Transparency International Zimbabwe Integrity and Accountability Summit in Harare on Tuesday, where participants demanded answers on poor service delivery, procurement processes and public transport.
The mayor, who attended the summit briefly before leaving for other engagements in Bulawayo, courted public anger after making light-hearted remarks about the privileges that come with holding public office.
Reflecting on his transition from civil society to public office, Mafume said he was "once among the loudest critics of local authorities before discovering the realities of being in government."
"We have had a long history with TIZ. I was once a board member, and I have worked with them for many years, in and around Zimbabwe and on the continent.
"It's a very important role that you play, bringing us to account. It's painful when you are now on the other side. I used to scream when I was this side. 'These people are stealing. Why are they buying a car? Why is he staying in that house?' You know, you scream.
"Then you go there. Suddenly you find that the house is very important. The car is a very useful instrument of locomotion. Then you need to get into a plane to move from point A to point B. The first days you try travelling from Harare to Victoria Falls by road in an act of solidarity with TIZ. Then suddenly you start flying to Victoria Falls. So it's some of those things that bring change when you move."
His remarks unsettled some of the participants, who accused him of appearing to justify the perks enjoyed by public officials while residents continue to endure poor services.
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The exchanges became more heated when Mafume revealed that the City of Harare had reached an agreement with unnamed private investors to introduce 200 commuter buses to ease the city's transport crisis.
Residents demanded to know whether the project had gone through a public tender process, how the investors had been selected and why council was unwilling to disclose their identities.
Responding to the questions, Mafume said:
"I am not the one providing the buses. These are private entities and if you also want, you can purchase your own buses and come to us and, if you are regularised, you can also provide public transport services. I earn US$260 in salary and the suit that I am putting on my wife bought it for me."
The response further frustrated residents, who argued that the issue was not the mayor's salary or personal circumstances but transparency over how the agreement had been reached.
Speaking during the discussion, a representative from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, identified only as Vimbai, said it was disappointing that residents were raising genuine concerns about governance and accountability while the mayor responded with jokes.
"It is sad that residents are asking serious questions about service delivery and transparency, yet the mayor is responding jokingly," she said."If he is going to continue to participate on public conferences where people are actually trying to get confidence out of whatever is going on within the cities, and he responds is that way then we are doomed."
Several participants said the city's worsening water shortages, refuse collection failures, deteriorating roads and transport challenges required clear answers rather than humour, arguing that residents deserved greater transparency and accountability from their elected leadership.
