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The cartels running the Harare's transport system
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Beneath Harare's chaotic public transport system lies a ruthless and well-organised web of syndicates that control commuter omnibus (kombi) and intercity bus operations across the capital - a sprawling underground economy worth millions of dollars.
What appears to be ordinary competition for passengers is, in reality, the work of a "route mafia" - powerful groups that dictate who operates where, collect daily protection fees, and unleash violence on those who defy their control.
An investigation by Check Point Desk has revealed that both urban commuter routes c including Mbare, Chitungwiza, Mabvuku, and Mufakose - and intercity corridors are run by politically connected cartels and rogue operators who have turned public transport into a private fiefdom.
At Harare's busiest ranks - Market Square, Copacabana, Simon Muzenda (formerly Fourth Street), and Mbare Musika - the system operates in plain sight. Known colloquially as "Mandimbandimba," touts extort drivers, harass passengers, and even intimidate law enforcement officers, collecting thousands of dollars daily in illegal fees.
The phenomenon is not new. "Mandimbandimba" first emerged in 2011, gaining full control of ranks by 2012, when police and the Harare City Council briefly cracked down on the escalating chaos.
A kombi driver operating from Mbare told Check Point Desk that the extortion has returned stronger than ever.
"You cannot load a single passenger on a route like Chitungwiza or Mutare unless you pay the people who control that space," he said.
"If you refuse, they block your vehicle, deflate your tyres, or beat you. Sometimes they even attack passengers."
Drivers say they are forced to pay up to US$20 per day to self-appointed rank marshals who claim ownership of routes. At the height of the 2012 operations, these groups were reportedly collecting over US$1,000 a day.
The same system now dominates long-distance bus terminals such as Mbare, Road Port, and Showgrounds, where loading bays and time slots are controlled by syndicates demanding bribes for access.
Several drivers and transport officials allege that the rank bosses enjoy protection from politically connected figures, rogue members of the security services, and former touts who have grown into criminal kingpins.
A senior official in the Zimbabwe Passenger Transporters Organisation (ZPTO) said the racket has crippled efforts to formalise the sector.
"We have operators who follow the law, pay licences and insurance, but they still cannot operate freely," he said.
"The route mafia demands money from everyone. It's a criminal enterprise protected by people in high offices."
For ordinary commuters, the result is a daily struggle. Fares fluctuate depending on how much drivers pay to syndicates and police.
"We end up paying for the corruption," said Ms Ruth Moyo, a commuter from Mabvuku. "Sometimes drivers say they had to pay police or rank officials, so they increase fares. It's unfair, but we have no choice."
The extortion also fuels reckless driving, as drivers race to cover their daily payments. According to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, unregulated kombi operators were responsible for nearly 40 percent of urban road accidents last year.
Attempts by the Harare City Council to restore order have repeatedly failed. Under the Greater Harare Transport Masterplan, the council had proposed limiting kombis in the central business district and introducing a structured public transport system - plans that have been fiercely resisted by the syndicates.
A senior council official admitted enforcement efforts have been compromised.
"Every time we deploy municipal police, they are threatened or bribed. Some marshals have powerful backers. It's an underground economy feeding off our institutional weakness," the official said.
City spokesperson Mr Stanley Gama said the local authority would act swiftly.
"Our municipal police will investigate and stop this. Such lawlessness is unacceptable, and we will work with the Zimbabwe Republic Police to restore order," Gama said.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the ZRP would coordinate investigations with the Harare Provincial Command.
Economist Mr Tendai Mudzamiri said the rise of transport cartels reflects the wider collapse of state regulation.
"Where the state fails to regulate, informal and criminal sectors take over," he said. "These syndicates control not just transport, but power - economic, social, and political. It's a mirror of how the informal economy dominates Zimbabwe."
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has pledged to clean up the sector through digital route permits, operator registration, and formalised loading zones - though many operators remain sceptical.
"We've heard these promises before," said a long-distance bus conductor at Mbare. "Until they arrest the people behind these mafias - not just the touts - nothing will change."
For now, Harare's public transport system remains hostage to cartels that own routes, extort operators, and rule through intimidation.
Until authorities decisively dismantle this shadow network and restore lawful control, the capital's roads will remain ruled by the route mafia - an empire built on chaos, fear, and corruption.
What appears to be ordinary competition for passengers is, in reality, the work of a "route mafia" - powerful groups that dictate who operates where, collect daily protection fees, and unleash violence on those who defy their control.
An investigation by Check Point Desk has revealed that both urban commuter routes c including Mbare, Chitungwiza, Mabvuku, and Mufakose - and intercity corridors are run by politically connected cartels and rogue operators who have turned public transport into a private fiefdom.
At Harare's busiest ranks - Market Square, Copacabana, Simon Muzenda (formerly Fourth Street), and Mbare Musika - the system operates in plain sight. Known colloquially as "Mandimbandimba," touts extort drivers, harass passengers, and even intimidate law enforcement officers, collecting thousands of dollars daily in illegal fees.
The phenomenon is not new. "Mandimbandimba" first emerged in 2011, gaining full control of ranks by 2012, when police and the Harare City Council briefly cracked down on the escalating chaos.
A kombi driver operating from Mbare told Check Point Desk that the extortion has returned stronger than ever.
"You cannot load a single passenger on a route like Chitungwiza or Mutare unless you pay the people who control that space," he said.
"If you refuse, they block your vehicle, deflate your tyres, or beat you. Sometimes they even attack passengers."
Drivers say they are forced to pay up to US$20 per day to self-appointed rank marshals who claim ownership of routes. At the height of the 2012 operations, these groups were reportedly collecting over US$1,000 a day.
The same system now dominates long-distance bus terminals such as Mbare, Road Port, and Showgrounds, where loading bays and time slots are controlled by syndicates demanding bribes for access.
Several drivers and transport officials allege that the rank bosses enjoy protection from politically connected figures, rogue members of the security services, and former touts who have grown into criminal kingpins.
A senior official in the Zimbabwe Passenger Transporters Organisation (ZPTO) said the racket has crippled efforts to formalise the sector.
"We have operators who follow the law, pay licences and insurance, but they still cannot operate freely," he said.
"The route mafia demands money from everyone. It's a criminal enterprise protected by people in high offices."
For ordinary commuters, the result is a daily struggle. Fares fluctuate depending on how much drivers pay to syndicates and police.
"We end up paying for the corruption," said Ms Ruth Moyo, a commuter from Mabvuku. "Sometimes drivers say they had to pay police or rank officials, so they increase fares. It's unfair, but we have no choice."
The extortion also fuels reckless driving, as drivers race to cover their daily payments. According to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, unregulated kombi operators were responsible for nearly 40 percent of urban road accidents last year.
Attempts by the Harare City Council to restore order have repeatedly failed. Under the Greater Harare Transport Masterplan, the council had proposed limiting kombis in the central business district and introducing a structured public transport system - plans that have been fiercely resisted by the syndicates.
A senior council official admitted enforcement efforts have been compromised.
"Every time we deploy municipal police, they are threatened or bribed. Some marshals have powerful backers. It's an underground economy feeding off our institutional weakness," the official said.
City spokesperson Mr Stanley Gama said the local authority would act swiftly.
"Our municipal police will investigate and stop this. Such lawlessness is unacceptable, and we will work with the Zimbabwe Republic Police to restore order," Gama said.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the ZRP would coordinate investigations with the Harare Provincial Command.
Economist Mr Tendai Mudzamiri said the rise of transport cartels reflects the wider collapse of state regulation.
"Where the state fails to regulate, informal and criminal sectors take over," he said. "These syndicates control not just transport, but power - economic, social, and political. It's a mirror of how the informal economy dominates Zimbabwe."
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has pledged to clean up the sector through digital route permits, operator registration, and formalised loading zones - though many operators remain sceptical.
"We've heard these promises before," said a long-distance bus conductor at Mbare. "Until they arrest the people behind these mafias - not just the touts - nothing will change."
For now, Harare's public transport system remains hostage to cartels that own routes, extort operators, and rule through intimidation.
Until authorities decisively dismantle this shadow network and restore lawful control, the capital's roads will remain ruled by the route mafia - an empire built on chaos, fear, and corruption.
Source - The Herald
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