Bring the mayor in the dock!
Court clerk whispers to his Lordship Justice Mbadwa that the residents of the Big City want their matter to be heard in camera because they claim they have a case against the city’s mayor, and they are afraid because as a populist, the mayor travels with a bunch of hand-clappers most of whom appear intimidating.
Justice Mbadwa: I cannot be bullied by complainants or defendants on how to run my court. This is an open court for the citizens of this country and whoever seeks redress in this court shall abide by set guidelines. Remember, I said at the onset that this court can summon anybody, I mean anybody whether they are yellow, brown, orange or blue. It doesn’t matter whether they are rich or poor, tall or short. I repeat, we can summon anybody. Can the citizens tell me the case they have against the mayor before I decide whether to summon him or not?
Court clerk: I call upon their leader Mr Bwana Bwannoni to present the case to the court.
Bwannoni: My lord. I should first of all apologise for our conduct. We did not want to undermine the jurisdiction of your court; otherwise, we should not have been here in the first place. Only that we were being cautious because the mayor has many praise-singers who are labelling him the best in the land. We did not want to be misunderstood.
Mbadwa: Mr Bwannoni, what case do you have against the so-called mayor of the people as you put it?
Bwannoni: We want the mayor to be brought before this court to explain why he smiles when people call him meya wa ma meya (the best mayor in town) when there is nothing to show for. My lord, does planting some flowers along the streets and erecting stones where there were none worth celebrating about? The mayor has been on a honeymoon for so long. If he thinks his job starts and ends at beautifying streets, then he should tell us who will appreciate the flowers and the stones he cares about if our streets are plunged into darkness every night because there are no street lights. He is no florist, my lord!
Mbadwa: Are you done Mr Bwannoni?
Bwannoni: We have not yet started my lord. Beyond the streets, the city is smelling. Broken sewers have become a norm. Rivers in the city are stinking and the city father knows the people who are dumping industrial wastes into it, yet he cannot bite them. Refuse is left to pile and ferment before it is collected, if at all it is collected. Well, they tell us not to urinate in public, but there are no toilets to serve us. Some toilets were converted into groceries while others were left to house thugs. Maybe the mayor doesn’t know that the city is more of a “white-washed grave that looks beautiful on the outside but the inside is full of dead people’s bones”. They are now telling each and everyone to pay city rates and we are asking why is the city’s road network that connects townships in that pathetic condition? Should we really be carrying shoes in plastic bags when going to work? If you can’t apply bitumen on each township road, at least paving them with stones or bricks plus cement would make a difference. We have seen it working elsewhere!
Mbadwa: You have painted a picture that the standards our city fathers set for themselves are too low. I would not want to agree or disagree with you, but I would prefer to summon the mayor to answer on the claims you have made. He has a right to be heard and I believe he was voted on a ticket of integrity which he must uphold by performing beyond planting flowers and painting streets. But, as I have said, the claims have to be proved. The court will summon him. Court adjourned.
Clerk: All rise! n
