Harare Mayor Calls For Scrap Car Crusher To Tackle Mshika-Shika Drivers, Residents Push Back

Harare Mayor Proposes Crushing Illegal Taxis

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has ignited a firestorm of outrage after proposing that the city council purchase a scrap car crusher to destroy vehicles belonging to mushikashika (pirate taxi) operators, a plan residents have roundly condemned as callous, impractical, and completely out of touch with the economic realities facing Zimbabwe’s capital.

Speaking during the 1944th Ordinary Council Meeting on Thursday, February 13th 2026, Mayor Mafume declared that authorities must acquire scrapyard crushing equipment to annihilate illegal taxis operating right under the nose of council officials. The Mayor expressed fury that mushikashika drivers allegedly park their vehicles in the council’s own backyard at Town House, describing their actions as a deliberate attempt to embarrass municipal authorities.

But residents have responded with blistering mockery and disbelief, flooding social media with accusations that the Mayor has lost touch with ordinary Zimbabweans who rely on pirate taxis not for leisure, but for survival.

‘You Want To Destroy Orphans’ Cars While People Are Starving’

The backlash against Mayor Mafume’s proposal has been swift, savage, and deeply personal, with many questioning his mental fitness for office while others demanded he first address Harare’s collapsing infrastructure.

Resident Francis Allary did not hold back, stating:

“Urimupengo mhani iwewe nyika haina mabasa urikuda kuti vanhu vaitesei pachinzvimbo chekupwanya motor yacho wovatengera dzimwe usaite kunge munhu weku Europe.” (You are truly mad, the country has no jobs, what do you want people to do instead of crushing their cars? Buy them others? Stop acting like someone from Europe.)

Susan Jamal issued a pointed warning to the Mayor, writing:

“Dofo kana richitaura unongoona so…ko isu tikapwanya ma villas ako ku greendale.” (When a fool speaks you just watch…what if we crush your villas in Greendale?)

Tariro Praisemore Mutyambizi provided a detailed breakdown of the mushikashika economy, challenging the Mayor to consider the human cost of his proposal:

“Do you know that people earn a living through mushikashika. 1. Muridzi wemota (car owner) 2. Driver 3. Hwindi (conductor) 4. police 5. municipal police. Mhuri dzose idzi muchada kuti dzirarame sei. Open industries and all these people get absorbed muone kuti pane anosara achiita mushikashika here.” (All these families, how do you want them to survive? Open industries and all these people get absorbed, then see if anyone remains doing mushikashika.)

Gift Gwariwa questioned the Mayor’s thinking, writing:

“Ndopaunoona kuti nyika haina vanhu vanofunga. Unofunga kuita mushika shika kutamba pada here? A person is trying to survive then you take pride in destroying his source of income.” (That’s where you see the country has no thinkers. Do you think doing mushikashika is playing? A person is trying to survive then you take pride in destroying his source of income.)

‘Fix The Sewers Before You Crush Our Cars’

Many residents pointed out the bitter irony of a city council that cannot collect rubbish, repair burst sewer pipes, or guarantee clean water, suddenly finding hundreds of thousands of US dollars to purchase heavy machinery designed specifically to destroy citizens’ property.

Maxwell Shuku questioned the Mayor’s priorities, stating:

“Mari yamoda kutenga zi machine iroro gadzirai sewer system kumatapi uko ikungoyerera, hamumbofungi zvekurerutsira vanhu but zvinechekuita nekuomesera vanhu you spend thousands of usd.” (The money you want to buy that machine, fix the sewer system at the termini where it’s flowing, you never think about making things easier for people but it’s about making things difficult for people, you spend thousands of US dollars.)

William Alwyn Brown delivered a terse rebuke, asking:

“Mambopedza kutakura marara?” (Have you finished collecting rubbish?)

Nixon Zvidza offered the Mayor a detailed to-do list before he even thinks about car crushers:

“Tangai matakura marara mutown, mogadzirisa masewerage, moita kuti Harare iwane mvura mozotaura zvamuri kutaura izvo. WHY MAJOR THE MINORS.” (First collect rubbish in town, fix the sewerage, make sure Harare has water, then you can talk about what you are talking about. WHY MAJOR THE MINORS.)

Tafadzwa Manjiva warned of the legal and financial consequences, posting:

“How does that instil discipline? It actually creates more problems for the council, unending legal battles which are costly. Mupengo uyu.” (This is madness.)

‘Create Jobs, Not Enemies’

A recurring theme throughout the hundreds of comments was that mushikashika exists because formal employment does not. Residents insisted that until the council and central government address mass unemployment, destroying pirate taxis will not solve anything—it will merely push more families into destitution.

Jimmy Jimu attempted to reason with the Mayor, writing:

“That’s a point, but why wasting money buying those machines? Create more jobs so that people will not do mushikashika.”

Leonard Kwangware delivered a pointed observation:

“Push for job creation because right now you are saying that because you are employed you don’t feel the heat of unemployment.”

Steve Phiri expressed his disbelief in no uncertain terms:

“Stop talking Nonsense create Jobs the reason why thr is a lot of Mushika shika its because hakuna mabasa Iwe dutye so muka Pwanya then voita sei apa vane mhuri saka mhuri dzavo dzodyei urimbwa Yemunhu iwe.” (There are no jobs. You fool, if you crush then what will they do, they have families, so their families will eat what, you useless person.)