Zimbabwe roadblocks outcry

The tourism sector, which is battling a strong United States dollar which has made the destination uncompetitive, has a new threat: police roadblocks which are stifling the growth of the industry.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has increased roadblocks on the country's highways to "maintain peace", but the high number of check points has been criticised as being excessive and discouraging to tourists.

Tourism players have tried to engage the police to get them to reduce roadblocks to match international standards to no avail.

Tourism players told Standardbusiness last week that it was high time the police reduced the number of roadblocks on the country's major highways to save the industry from collapse.

"If you go to Kariba, you will probably go through 12 roadblocks and will be fined five times or more for petty, made-up offences, such as reflectors not being of the correct size, a dirty car or condensation inside the boat licence holder. I am aware of some people who have been fined for 'attitude' if one takes offence at the policeman's manner or his trumped up charge," Africa Albida Tourism finance and operations director, Nigel Frost said.

"If you drive from Harare to Victoria Falls you will probably go through close to 24 roadblocks and you will probably be fined half as much. If we, local Zimbabweans are suffering so badly at the hands of these money-grabbing police roadblocks, can you imagine what our tourists are having to go through."

Frost said if Zimbabweans were afraid to venture out on their own roads for fear of police roadblocks and the bribery and intimidation, it's "no wonder that we have almost zero self-drive tourists anymore".

He said police were supposed to assist law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, not to intimidate and harass them.

"When will the tourism authorities stand up and really do something about this instead of just talking about it?"

Frost said the issue was tackled at the ease of doing business workshop conducted by the Office of the President and Cabinet in Harare in September 2016, yet "things have got worse since then, not better".

Zimbabwe Council of Tourism president Tichaona Hwingwiri said police should balance the security of the country with sustainability of the tourism industry.

"We are fully cognisant of the need to ensure security for our destination, but also recognising the need to carry out the exercise in a manner that ensures a win-win for security as well as the destination image," he said.

"All these issues are in the ease to do business plan of action which brings all relevant authorities together. We now look forward to execution."  

Employers Association of Tourism and Safari Operators president Clement Mukwasi said the police need to adopt international standards of policing to avoid stifling the tourism industry's growth.
"We must look at international best practices," he said.

"In countries such as Zambia, South Africa and Namibia, you will hardly see police milling in the streets. If you put more roadblocks, you will be sending out an impression of insecurity," Mukwasi added, urging authorities to adopt international standards of policing.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) president George Manyumwa concurred, saying the industry had been adversely affected by numerous police roadblocks.

Manyumwa said the fact that tourists were being stopped many times before they reached their destinations was a cause for concern.

"It doesn't promote friendly tourism at all. We are appealing to the authorities concerned to reduce the number of roadblocks so that tourists visiting the country will take less time on the roads," he said.

"We have been engaging government through the Tourism ministry, but what we are being told is that it's a security issue. But we are saying let it be done amicably so that it becomes a win-win situation."

Last year, HAZ petitioned Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the matter, urging him to intervene as "too many" police roadblocks on the country's major highways were stifling free movement of local and foreign tourists.

Frost revealed that there were no roadblocks between Botswana and Johannesburg, a journey that stretches 2 000km.

"[I have] just chatted to a colleague who has returned from a 2 000km road trip through Botswana to Johannesburg. Not one single roadblock in Botswana or Republic of South Africa. He says he thinks he saw a policeman maybe three times during the entire journey," Frost said.

"[He] returned to Zimbabwe and he went through five roadblocks between Plumtree and Bulawayo. [I also] bumped into the 4×4 vehicles chairman of SA last month who remembered fondly having their annual jamboree up in Zimbabwe . . . but [he] said they stopped it three years ago as they couldn't afford the 'fines, intimidation and harassment of Zimbabwe roadblocks'."

Operators such as Leopard Rock Hotel are refunding tourists penalised on their way to the hotel to avoid losing business.

"Firstly, we continue to refund fines received en route to Leopard Rock and back.  This has definitely hurt our business.  In January to date we are at 50% of last January's revenues, erasing a 20% gain in December which could have been a result of people remaining in Zimbabwe so they could swipe [use automated teller machines]," executive director Samir Shasha told Standardbusiness last week.

The tourism executive, however, absolved the police of any wrongdoing.

"I cannot fault the police at the roadblocks," he said.

"They have been given quotas to fulfil. Even in the rural district we are in, the police have been given a quota of $300 a day! So they find a fault, any fault that will result in a fine. As people address the possible faults, more faults are conceived. It is a vicious cycle."

Police spokesperson Charity Charamba's number went unanswered last week. ZRP has previously defended their heavy presence on the highways, saying this was meant to curb road carnage.