A few hours in the life of touts

Edmore Zvinonzwa

“Yakuzara! Yakuzara! Garai four four,” goes a yesteryear song by Xtra Large.

Touts are to be seen hanging out of vehicle doors as they use their voices to connect driver and potential passengers.

This writer set out to understand a bit about the men who make their living practicing the illegal trade.

“Touts at the Western Triangle rank at Copacabana, near Boomerang are professional, mdhara. Even if you do not have enough fare, at times I have received help from these guys. They are real people fending for their families,” one commuter told this writer in the early evening.

Another commuter said kombi crews behave like animals because they are forced to live by the law of the jungle.

“The police treat them like ATMs. They are always arrested but released shortly afterwards if they pay something,” said Chicco, who lives in Western Triangle, Highfield.”

Observing touts at work on the corner of Nelson Mandela and Julius Nyerere Way at Zimpost Building is an interesting activity.

This is an illegal pickup point for commuters to Chitungwiza – Seke, Zengeza and St Mary’s. They know almost all the private vehicles that frequent that route.

They can identify vehicles from afar and they know exactly where they are going but also complain of the police raids.

“You see that Quantum coming down Julius Nyerere Way. It is going to Zengeza. You can get that one,” said Nigel, who operates from that point, and sure enough that was the exact destination of the bus.

Gift Usavi is one of the seven who have been at this point for years. “I am 26 and since 2013, I have been here. We deal with private vehicles. I load vehicles that go to Makoni NOP and Zengeza in Chitungwiza. We encounter so many challenges at this loading point. The police come and even demand for money from us. But we are struggling to fend for our families.”

He said they had to know the vehicles and their owners.

“We spend time studying the vehicles and developing rapport with the drivers. There are seven of us here and we share the cars. You know your vehicles and you deal with those,” Gift told Zim Now.

Kudzanai Musomali, who lives on the streets of the capital says he has been at the corner of Julius Nyerere Way and Nelson Mandela for close to 10 years.

“I have loaded vehicles here since 2014. There are motorists who may decide not to pay anything. Then, of course, the police. We are always in running battles with them. You need a sharp memory for this kind of thing. You might end up knowing the driver or the vehicle and its make even if it is still far away.

“I can get about US$5 a day and that is good money for me because my needs are limited.

Golden Ncube said he has been at the Zimpost point for years and this is where his family gets food and everything else.

“I am 23, am married and have one child. If I do not come here it means my family will starve. I have been here for the past eight years.

“Some people come and challenge us, threatening to push us away from this point. We now know the majority of commuters who come here and we even know which lifts they want.

“We, however, also face a number of challenges such as police raids.

“When I come here, I would have come for work so I have to know these cars and their drivers. If I do not it means I will starve. I do not forget people that I talk to and this is how I remember these cars. People get surprised that we survive on the 300 bond that we get. The minimum I get per day is US$5. On good day, I can get US$15, even US$20 at times,” said Ncube.

However, Passenger Association of Zimbabwe Tafadzwa Goliati was forthright, saying there is no way touting can be allowed to thrive.

“Touting is illegal. Touts also contribute to hiking of fares and many of them are rowdy.

“In an economy that has high formal unemployment, yes these youths have found a source of livelihood of which this should not be the case. While we cannot wish away their activities, this is not allowable or sustainable.

“Many pirate taxis are not roadworthy. Furthermore, private vehicles are not passenger service vehicles, and many people have lost their belongings, some have been raped or murdered after using private vehicles. In addition, private vehicles do not have passenger liability cover. We encourage commuters to desist from this form of transport. However, we are aware that passenger service vehicles remain inadequate and government and transporters should come up with a practical strategy, especially in Harare,” said Goliati.

However, George Simango, who lives in Zengeza 3 Extension said he has been using this mode of transport for years and says he has not had any problem with these young men as they have helped him daily.

“These young men are different from the touts you see around kombis. One day, I forgot my laptop in one of the vehicles and they helped me recover it. Imagine, they even had the motorist’s mobile number!

“They do not accept vehicles that overcharge. They deal with private vehicles which charge US$1 one way to Chitungwiza. They are very useful. Besides, hitch-hiking has always been there. Touts in the real sense of the word are those who deal with kombis. These will not shout at you,” he said, as he boarded a Toyota Hilux double cab.