In a country where the informal economy is king, the streets of Harare are ruled by a high-stakes, high-octane game where risk is the biggest commodity characterized by disorderly, aggressive, and generally uncouth behavior of the main players.
For the kombi crews, their dangerous road habits are a necessity while hard drinking late into the night as well as use of substances like weed are justified forms of release from a daily ordeal defined by violence, instinct, and a constant cat-and-mouse game against authorities.
On top of all that, is the permanent derision from their clients as "people never really look at us as people. It’s almost like we are not human like everyone else” according to one driver on the Mabvuku/Tafara route. He says verbal abuse by clients is practically guaranteed as everyone is stressed with the economy, social issues and other problems.
"Nothing comes easy my brother, things we go through to feed and earn...," he says, sounding utterly exhausted by his daily experience of defying the odds to meet the unforgiving targets set by vehicle owners.
Kombis operating from official ranks, with proper paperwork, are expected to hit a daily target of US$80 for their bosses, while those who brave the hot spots and illegal pickup zones ("Mshikashika") can earn higher stakes, typically between US$100 and US$120 per working day.
The most common and preferred method of payment is a percentage of the overall weekly target, usually 20%. "I will speak for myself and others, percentage works best for everyone involved," Trust explains, "Because the driver works knowing what he stands to gain, and the owner gets a better weekly return."
Ironically, the touts, who have established rank mafias, run one of the most profitable and low-overhead operations, taking home a minimum of US$20 a day.
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The true struggle for the drivers is not the target, but the process of earning the money—as Trust notes the police are "vicious." Crackdowns are frequent, with cops clearing illegal spots, and at times even legal parking bays. The ordeal hardens the hearts of the kombi crews.
A 27-year-old driver from Epworth, who has been in the business for seven years, says it’s an ongoing nightmare: "The first thing I think about when I wake up is how to evade the police. The police are my number one enemy!"
To escape fines, and the dreaded impound" yard," drivers have devised intricate systems.
They use small, bumpy feeder roads that the police supposedly "know nothing about," forcing passengers to endure uncomfortable rides.
If caught, the transaction is swift: "You bribe them with $10 or $15, and they will let you go."
The lucky ones are those who drive for well-connected kombi owners (read police officers) making them "untouchable" during crackdowns. For the rest, each day is a struggle to come out on top.
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