By Desire Tshuma
Harare – A City of Harare public toilet cleaner has been accused of allegedly demanding US$0.50 from women using a supposedly free public facility at the corner of Nkwame Nkrumah Avenue and Mbuya Nehanda Street in central Harare.
The allegations were raised by a member of the public who expressed concern over what they described as the exploitation of women who have no alternative but to use public ablution facilities.
According to the complainant, the council employee, who is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the facility, allegedly demands 50 US cents from female users before allowing them to use the toilet.
The complainant further alleged that, in an attempt to conceal the fact that the facility is free, the cleaner had placed a broom over the word “FREE” displayed at the public toilet.
“I just did not like the behaviour. She is being paid to do this job and she should not exploit desperate citizens,” the complainant said.
The allegations raise questions about the management of public facilities in the capital, particularly those established to provide basic services to residents and visitors without placing additional financial burdens on them.
If verified, the alleged conduct would also raise concerns over whether council employees are improperly collecting money from members of the public and whether adequate supervision is being exercised at public ablution facilities.
The latest allegations also bring back memories of a similar incident at the same public toilet in 2019, when another City of Harare toilet cleaner reportedly assaulted a soldier with a cleaning broom after he allegedly refused to pay to use the facility.
The 2019 incident sparked public concern over the conduct of employees managing public toilets and the treatment of people seeking to use basic municipal services.
The recurrence of allegations involving payment demands at the same facility is likely to renew calls for the City of Harare to strengthen supervision of its public toilets and ensure that residents are not subjected to unauthorised charges.
The public toilet at the busy intersection serves people working, travelling and conducting business in Harare’s central business district, making its accessibility particularly important.
The City of Harare is expected to clarify whether the facility is officially free to use, whether council employees are authorised to collect any fees from users and what action, if any, will be taken if the allegations are found to be true.
Meanwhile, members of the public have been urged to report suspected misconduct by municipal employees rather than allowing such practices to continue unchecked.
The allegations remain unverified as City of Harare Spokesperson Stanley Gama said he is yet to verify the issue and the cleaner involved has not been given an opportunity to respond to the specific claims.