I will not go back to Gweru, moans comedian Mayaya

Kuitawo here uku? (Is this fair) Mayaya seems to be saying.

by Maxwell Katakamba

Repeated attempts to plead for lenience by talented comedian Dennis Rusoso, after Gweru Council parking marshals clamped the vehicle that producer Edward Chombe, scriptwriter David Dzatsunga and him were travelling in yielded no fruit yesterday.

In the end Rusoso, better known as VaMayaya since his seven-minute appearance in Sabhuku Vharazipi2, ended up forking $60 for 'wrong parking.' He doubted that he would ever visit the Midlands capital again.

The crew's entrance into Gweru ghettos had relived the scene where Jesus entered Jerusalem, but city fathers would have none of Rusoso's charm.

Said Rusoso:"We parked our vehicle near BAT (along Seventh Street) and waited for a parking attendant after which we paid him. We did not notice that we were slighly blocking traffic into BAT.

"We expected the official to at last advise us to find somewhere to park, than sell me the ticket, have a photo-shoot with me, let us go for an interview to promote our new product Seed Of Corruption at The Times newspaper, then clamp-clamp!

"In addition to the $50 wrong parking fine, we were charged $10 for not marking on the ticket what time we parked!

Council head of parking services one Bhunu argued that a real driver knew where to park, and his subordinates 'were not employed to direct drivers into bays.'

"The onus is upon the driver to identify where to park. That they did not read at the back of the ticket where it is written that you are supposed to mark the time you parked into he bay, is not our fault," he defended.

Fast-gaining notoriety for its no-nonsense treatment to road by-law offenders in an attempt to increase its coffers,  the council last paid its workers in September.

Recently Zimbabwe Human Rights Association director Okay Machisa's official vehicle was clamped by the same workers who allegedly demanded a bribe from him in order to release it, resulting in a fracas that attracted a sizeable crowd in the city centre.

Machisa ended up exchanging harsh words with the marshalls over the matter, but later paid a $45 fine.

“The incident shows that this is the way the council guys - perhaps with the blessing of their supervisors - operate. Its corruption at its best and there is need for action to be taken so that the rights of motorists are protected,”  Machisa was quoted as saying.