Plumtree police accused of serious tribalism

Mthwakazi Liberation Front has accused the Zimbabwe Republic Police officers in Plumtree for serious tribalism.

Proud Mazilankatha Ncube, MLF member said the events of last week's massive show of strength and unity by Plumtree's  Ndebele and Kalanga taxi drivers has been welcomed in the western border town by residents.

He said in a rare maturity and orderly manner the taxi drivers all agreed to disagree with the illegal ,provocative and tribal motivated speech by a Cst Muradza of Plumtree Traffic Police who said "all you Ndebele and Kalanga drivers must go back to South Africa and operate there or just face up with Shona justice".

"They formed up and drove in more than 50 vehicles to protest at the Police station. Investigations by Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) have revealed that it is not the first time police have shown tribalism," Ncube said.

"A taxi driver who only identified himself as Mapensela said they had been used to Shona harassment, saying officers demand to be addressed in shona despite Kalanga and Ndebele being the main languages spoken locally."

He said failure to please them in their Shona language automatically warrants you a fine. Or least a bribe to cover for minor offences. Another driver said some taxis owned by Police officers and Mlambo a senior Zanu PF of official in Plumtree do as they please and load from where ever they wish.

He said the Police are again cited as being tribal at the border post....youths most from Mashonaland are involved in various crimes at the border gate and in the no-man's land between Zim-Botswana border gates on the Mkwebana/ Ramogkwebana river.

"The youths spend the day along the road doing illegal activities with police officers seen laughing and talking with them. They rob, steal and ambush pedestrians to an extent that walking the 400m or so distance between the borders is just a suicidal move," he said.

"Some of them operate taxis between the border charging $1 for the short distance. Ndebele and Kalanga youths who try to change money say they find it difficult to operate as they are the only ones arrested or if the shona guys are arrested they are released by their shona friends. The touts have access to offices of immigration and customs and they openly solicit for bribes on behalf of the shona officials in the offices. Amagumaguma as they are affectionately known always have lots of money to spend and bribe the police."

Ncube said in 2015 a potentially explosive matter was only averted by the Manager of a popular sports bar who intervened between a cop and a certain Rastaman who runs snooker tables at the bar.

"The officer identified as Chipatiso drunk and in uniform had deliberately broken a snooker stick and boosted that they were the shonas and rulers of the country and "mandevere hapana zvamungaita, tirikutonga".

The angry Rastaman who is mostly based in South Africa was restrained by the Manager as he was mobilising for a serious onslaught

The barber who is  regular at the sports bar and witnessed the happening said, "Jahmaan wanted to sort them out but was persuaded against the move, they should let him because these people look down on us."

 Rastaman confirmed the fracus and said the Police officer paid for the stick and the matter was resolved through the Officer in Charge.

As tensions seem to be mounting, residents are calling for deployment of civil servants who can work well with locals.

"We are tired of the Shona syndrome, they come here in numbers we don't really know what's so special about Plumtree since we are struggling, what they know is to say handinzwe Chindevere", said a local vendor who identified herself as Na Qoe.

Its not yet clear what action was taken against Cst Chipatiso and Cst Muradza.