MILLICENT HUNGWE
MASVINGO – A heavy police operation targeting unroadworthy kombis in Masvingo City has sparked frustration and chaos as unsuspecting commuters were left without enough transport to get in and out of town on Wednesday.
The police were demanding valid documents from kombi drivers like medical fitness, vehicle fitness, and valid insurance among others which most did not possess resulting in the vehicles being impounded or turned away.
Most drivers upon sensing danger decided to drop off passengers well before the blocks forcing the commuters to walk into town after paying a dollar for the short trip.
For most of the day, no commuter omnibuses were operating within the city, forcing people to walk long distances from the central business district to their homes in the locations.
The cost of boarding the few available vehicles skyrocketed from the usual US0.25 to US1 per passenger.
The operation, confirmed by ZRP Masvingo Provincial Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa, is aimed at ensuring that all commuter omnibuses comply with legal requirements, these include possessing valid Operator’s Licences, Certificates of Fitness, Passenger Insurance, and Vehicle Licences.
“There is nothing wrong with this operation,” said Inspector Dhewa.
“It’s meant to bring sanity and ensure that all vehicles on the road are compliant. All required documents must be valid,” he added.
However, the public is feeling the brunt of the enforcement exercise.
Some suspect that the crackdown may have been triggered by two incidents: the alleged assault of a police officer by an unidentified kombi operator and a recent accident involving a kombi at the State House.
“I don’t know how I will get home today,” said Maggie Mutasa, a visibly distressed commuter. “They say one police officer was beaten, and now we are paying the price.”
A commuter omnibus conductor, who asked not to be named, claimed that drivers, conductors, and even passengers were being thoroughly searched for drugs or illegal items. “No one knows the real motive this surprise turn of events,” he added. “They just say we must produce all documents or we won’t work.”
An anonymous witness suggested, “Some are saying this is because of the accident at the State House today, whatever the reason, we are the victims,”
As the operation continues, residents are appealing for a resolution that balances law enforcement with the public’s daily transport needs in a tanking economy where most people survive on vending and cutting corners by providing transport to stranded commuters without following the proper channels which are very costly, which the Minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube promised to address when he came to Masvingo recently during an investment symposium.
