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MUTARE: Most people failed to conduct their business here Monday while school children from high density areas could not attend lessons after commuter operators pulled their buses off the roads, citing corruption and harassment by traffic cops.
The operators said they were being forced out of business due to police corruption, and further claimed that bribe-demanding ZRP officers, despite paltry government salaries, now owned properties in the eastern border city and drove around in posh cars.
Most students from high density suburbs such as Dangamvura, Sakubva, Hobhouse and Chikanga failed to turn up for classes while some commuters were forced to walk long distances to the city centre.
Private motorists took advantage of the situation, charging $1 for a single trip into town which normally costs $0.50.
Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Luxon Chananda refused to comment on the corruption allegations, only saying they had deployed anti-riot police to monitor the situation in case the operators become violent.
“We are monitoring the situation. We have deployed our officers to monitor the situation in case violence may erupt,” said Chananda without responding to the corruption allegations.
The kombi operators said they embarked on a strike to force police to reduce the number of road blocks in the city. They said the business was no longer viable as corrupt police officers were demanding bribes.
“We are not making any profits,” said Dickson Maruma, 33, who plies City-Dangamvura route.
“The economy is not performing but the police officers are making the situation worse; they are demanding bribes and some of the tickets they are issuing daily are not justified.
“We have decided to park and register our displeasure to the relevant authorities. We are all hungry and we need to survive in this decaying economy.”
Another operator, Dick Mafuta, said the transport sector was no longer viable because the ZRP was taking most of their revenue through unnecessary tickets and demands for bribes.
“Our drivers are bringing $30 a day after paying police,” he said. “We have dozens of unnecessary road blocks from Dangamvura to the city centre. One has to part with $60 from Dangamvura to town for unjustified offences.
“Some of the offences are minor and they need cautioning but these cops are just demanding bribes. We are sick and tired of this nonsense. We also need to pay our staff and service the vehicles.”
Others said the police officers have becoming rich overnight from taking bribes and were buying properties around the city.
“I am a driver and the owner of the kombis has forced me to park today. How am I going to fend for my family today? These people should have a human face.
“We are sick and tired of their greediness. Even junior police officers drive posh cars in this economy,” said Terence Dube, a driver.
The operators also questioned the logic of deploying more officers on the roads instead and wondered who was investigating other crimes.
“We are poor; we can’t afford taxis and cars. We have to walk long distances because police officers want bribes. “We don’t know where this country is taking us to,” said Zodwa Sithole of Hobhouse.
Source-New Zimbabwe
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