ZRP Harare declares war on mushikashika

25 vehicle impound daily target per district

604 police officers specially deployed

Police on lookout for malcontents looking to politicise blitz

Zim Now Writer

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has launched an operation weed out unregistered operators from Harare roads by arresting offenders and impounding the vehicles used by such persons.

In a memo copied to all districts, Officer Commanding Harare Province, Commissioner Wonder Tembo said the operation code-named “Tame the Jungle” which started this Saturday and will run until July 31 is specifically targeted at pirate transporters, also known as mushikashika.

“It has been observed that Police traffic blitz and road blocks are mainly targeting Public Service Vehicles which are arrested for petty offences leaving out some motorists like private taxis (mushikashika) which disregard the law, with impunity,” said Commissioner Tembo.

He said focus of police on registered operators is counterproductive.

“While it’s a fact that public service operators may not be legally perfect, at least they are legally compliant to a great extent. This office has also observed that some traffic blitz are registering nil arrests yet some vehicles with conspicuous gross traffic law violations would have passed through the same road blocks.”

The mission, he said, is to restore sanity in Harare Province by arresting operators of pirate taxis, unregistered and unroadworthy vehicles and impounding such.

A total of 604 officers have been deployed for this operation and include other stakeholders such local authorities of Harare, Chitungwiza, and Ruwa as well as, VID, CVR and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe

“Districts are therefore urged to direct their traffic law enforcement main effort towards arresting motorists who are in total violation of the law like pirate taxis (mushikashika), vehicles without number plates and unroadworthy vehicles.

“In order to ensure effectiveness of traffic blitz the province has come up with a target 25 impounds of mushikashika vehicle per each district, per day,” the Commissioner said.

He, however, noted that there may be pressure groups and malcontents bent on wanting to take advantage of the operation by staging demonstrations and political instability, hence the need be on the lookout for such.

The main target areas for “Tame the Jungle” are Julius Nyerere Way and Robson Manyika, Seke Flyover, Julius Nyerere Way and Robert Mugabe Road, Robert Mugabe Road and First Street, Robert Mugabe Road and Innez Terrace, Robert Mugabe Road and Third Street, along Kenneth Kaunda, Charge Office Rank and the Coca-Cola illegal Rank.

Commuters who spoke to Zim Now said it is better for the authorities to regularise the operations of small vehicle as public transporters as the mass transit system is in shambles.

“These are just people trying to earn a living by providing a necessary service. Just banning them leaves commuters stranded because the kombis and buses are not enough, especially for the morning and evening peak periods,” said one commuter who said he had been waiting for transport for more than an hour along Julius Nyerere.

Another commuter said that once they see crowds of people waiting for transport, registered kombis raise their fares arbitrarily so the crackdown on mushikashika becomes a burden on the travelling public.

But other commuters said the dangerous driving, recklessness and negligence of mushikashika operators endangers all road users and therefore a crackdown is necessary bring sanity on the roads and encourage all operators to register their businesses and be orderly in their service delivery.