MPs clash over Zimbabwe's worsening urban transport crisis

A heated exchange erupted in the National Assembly after legislators challenged the government over worsening public transport problems in Zimbabwe's major cities, with officials denying the country is facing a significant transport crisis despite growing reliance on unregistered mushikashika vehicles.

The shortage of formal, government-backed Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) services has forced thousands of commuters to depend on pirate taxis and unregulated kombis for daily transport.

Although mushikashika operators have filled a major gap in urban transport, they have also raised concerns over passenger safety, reckless driving and worsening traffic congestion in cities.

Raising the matter in Parliament, Tendai Nyathi, the legislator for Lobengula-Magwegwe, questioned government policy on urban transport, citing the near disappearance of Zupco buses in cities such as Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru.

Responding on behalf of the government, Ziyambi Ziyambi, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, defended the liberalisation of the transport sector, arguing that private players should meet commuter demand.

"The transport sector in Zimbabwe was liberalised," Ziyambi said. "Currently, I do not believe that we have a very significant crisis in terms of transportation in the country."

His remarks drew sharp criticism from Nyathi, who accused the minister of ignoring the daily realities faced by commuters.

"We see these problems every day. We see that there is now an influx of Honda Fit cars, which are used as mishikashika ferrying people from where they reside to town and to industrial sites. This is because there is a crisis," Nyathi said.

The legislator insisted that government could not continue denying the situation on the ground, where many commuters now rely on pirate taxis and private vehicles due to unreliable public transport services.

However, Ziyambi maintained that the increase in informal commuter transport reflected economic opportunities created by the liberalisation of the transport sector rather than a failure by the State.

"The hon member has noticed an opportunity, which the government has created in the transport industry," he said. "We believe there is an opportunity that is there within the transport sector for those among us who want to invest there."

Meanwhile, opposition proportional representation legislator Lynette Karenyi shifted attention to Zimbabwe's deteriorating railway infrastructure, asking whether the government intended to revive commuter rail services to reduce pressure on roads and urban transport systems.

She noted that workers previously used trains for daily commuting from areas such as Mabvuku into Harare's city centre.

In response, Ziyambi said the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), now under the Mutapa Investment Fund, is seeking investors to revive operations.

He added that restoring rail transport would help ease congestion on roads and reduce damage caused by heavy trucks transporting coal and minerals.

Government has repeatedly pledged to revive NRZ and modernise urban transport systems, but commuters across Zimbabwe's cities continue to face rising transport costs, limited bus availability and growing dependence on informal transport operators.