Bus company drags tout to court

A PLUMTREE court has ordered a tout to stop interfering with the business operations of Leighwood Bus Company or harass its passengers.

This was after Leighwood Bus Company dragged the tout, who is popularly known as igumaguma, to court for harassing passengers.

The company, which was being represented by its manager Mr Tapfumaneyi Mapfumo, applied for a court order to ban Richard Daka from going near its buses. Daka was recently dragged to court by Jay Jay Travel and Tours Bus Company with the same request and the application was granted against him.

Mr Mapfumo, Leighwood Bus manager, said Daka who is from Plumtree, was in the habit of insulting, harassing and demanding money from the company's passengers at the Plumtree Border Post.

"Daka who is known as igumaguma is in a habit of harassing our passengers and demanding money from them whenever our buses get to the Plumtree Border Post. He misrepresents himself as our employee when he isn't.

"We have lost a lot of customers as they are now refusing to board our buses fearing having an encounter with Daka," said Mr Mapfumo.

He said Daka has made several false reports to Zimra officials and the police that Leighwood buses transports smuggled goods.

This has seen crew members being detained and harassed by officials at the border on several occasions because of the false reports.

Mr Mapfumo said efforts to engage Daka over the matter have been fruitless after he told crew members that only a court order could stop him from interfering with their business.

Daka denied the allegations and said he did not have a problem staying away from the buses.

"For the past three months I have not gone anywhere near Leighwood buses. One of the crew members is the one who used to call me and ask for my help to offload luggage from the bus at Plumtree Border Post.

"He used to pay me $5 each time I helped him but he stopped paying me and I stopped to assist him. I have no problem complying with the order," he said.

Plumtree magistrate Mr Joshua Mawere ordered Daka to desist from intimidating Leighwood Bus passengers and getting close to their luggage. He also ordered him not to interfere with the bus crew. Mr Mawere also barred Daka from going close to buses operated by Leighwood Bus Company.

Daka was recently ordered to desist from intimidating, harassing or getting close to passengers of Jay Jay Bus Company. He was also ordered to desist from insulting and exploiting the passengers and interfering with bus crew members.