News / National
Police defy Chihuri on kombi ownership ban
07 Oct 2014 at 07:00hrs | Views
POLICE officers are still operating commuter omnibuses despite a directive by Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri who banned cops from owning kombis in May this year following complaints by disgruntled transport operators who revealed that vehicles owned by ZRP members were not stopped at roadblocks.
This defiance emerged after a commuter omnibus owned by one Constable Precious Wafawanaka, a traffic cop based at Harare Central Police Station, was involved in an accident along Samora Machel Avenue on August 15 and injured seven passengers.
The commuter omnibus, which did not have any valid papers such as insurance, was travelling from Mabvuku via the city centre to Mbare when it burst a tyre and overturned, injuring seven passengers including a pregnant woman.
National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said those with complaints against the police should not got the press, but lodge their complaints at the Complaints Desk at the Police General Headquarters.
"If the case is reported will then investigate the case," Chief Supt Nyathi said.
Early this year Commissioner General ordered an inquiry into allegations after reports that that some police officer owned kombis and this was fuelling corruption as some cops were reportedly targeting commuter omnibuses owned by civilians as a way of eliminating competition.
According to media reports addresses on some kombis had been changed from police bases to private residential areas but the names of operators remained the same showing that no change of ownership had been effected.
This defiance emerged after a commuter omnibus owned by one Constable Precious Wafawanaka, a traffic cop based at Harare Central Police Station, was involved in an accident along Samora Machel Avenue on August 15 and injured seven passengers.
The commuter omnibus, which did not have any valid papers such as insurance, was travelling from Mabvuku via the city centre to Mbare when it burst a tyre and overturned, injuring seven passengers including a pregnant woman.
National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said those with complaints against the police should not got the press, but lodge their complaints at the Complaints Desk at the Police General Headquarters.
"If the case is reported will then investigate the case," Chief Supt Nyathi said.
Early this year Commissioner General ordered an inquiry into allegations after reports that that some police officer owned kombis and this was fuelling corruption as some cops were reportedly targeting commuter omnibuses owned by civilians as a way of eliminating competition.
According to media reports addresses on some kombis had been changed from police bases to private residential areas but the names of operators remained the same showing that no change of ownership had been effected.
Source - chronicle
