News / National
Touts, police in bloody cat-fights
04 Jan 2016 at 08:16hrs | Views
Commuter omnibus crew and touts in Harare on Sunday fought running battles with municipal police resulting in a 10-year-old girl being knocked down by a kombi.
She is battling for life at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
Seven municipal police officers were hospitalised following brutal attacks with weapons by touts and kombi crews resisting Harare council's bid to rid the city of unruly drivers and unregistered taxis.
On one municipal officer was thrown out of a moving kombi.
ZRP managed to arrest at 43 suspects, mainly kombi crews.
The officers were attacked while enforcing traffic by-laws under an operation code-named "Scorpion" to clear illegal passenger pick-up points popularly known as "mishikashika".
The suspects were by late night still at Harare Central Police Station assisting police with investigations.
According to the Herald, the girl was knocked down by a kombi that was picking up commuters from an undesignated point as it tried to flee from approaching municipal police officers.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the skirmishes and the arrest of 43 kombi crews and touts.
"Yes, I can confirm the skirmishes that took place in town this afternoon where seven municipal police officers were attacked with stones by kombi crews who were resisting their operation. From the incident, we arrested 43 hooligans," she said.
"As the police, we are going to deal with these hooligans ruthlessly because we are there to maintain law and order in the country," she said.
She is battling for life at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
Seven municipal police officers were hospitalised following brutal attacks with weapons by touts and kombi crews resisting Harare council's bid to rid the city of unruly drivers and unregistered taxis.
On one municipal officer was thrown out of a moving kombi.
ZRP managed to arrest at 43 suspects, mainly kombi crews.
The suspects were by late night still at Harare Central Police Station assisting police with investigations.
According to the Herald, the girl was knocked down by a kombi that was picking up commuters from an undesignated point as it tried to flee from approaching municipal police officers.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the skirmishes and the arrest of 43 kombi crews and touts.
"Yes, I can confirm the skirmishes that took place in town this afternoon where seven municipal police officers were attacked with stones by kombi crews who were resisting their operation. From the incident, we arrested 43 hooligans," she said.
"As the police, we are going to deal with these hooligans ruthlessly because we are there to maintain law and order in the country," she said.
Source - Herald
