Pepper spray: New weapon of choice for robbers

And everyone became blind. In just a blink of an eye, the world went blank. It was as if everything had become a distant memory, lost in the midst of the chaos.

A wave of intense discomfort washed over us, marked by excessive tearing, burning sensations, blurred vision, runny noses, drooling and chest tightness.

Cough, cough, cough!

The air was thick with panic as everyone in the car gasped for breath, struggling to comprehend the bedlam that had unfolded.

We were under attack!

"I was only waiting to hear a bang," said Edward Zvemisha, The Herald photographer, recalling the harrowing moment when he, the driver Mr Cleverson Chitabwa and this writer were involved in a near-fatal accident.

The incident occurred a few metres from Bronte Hotel, along Herbert Ushewokunze Avenue (formerly Baines Avenue) at around 8pm on Thursday.

Our vehicle was in motion when we were suddenly sprayed with a substance believed to be pepper spray through the window.

This writer immediately felt his leg joints weakening and then a massive coughing fit ensued, accompanied by choking, sneezing and blurred vision, as the pepper spray took hold.

In a state of panic, the driver cried out, "I can't see!" as he gasped for air, veering off course and steering the vehicle in a zigzag pattern.

Luckily, the road was largely empty, except for a small car with floodlights which was just behind us, which we suspect was the get-away vehicle.

It likely dropped off the attacker, a man who was wearing a white cap and a black T-shirt with white stripes on the front.

Like a phantom, he appeared from nowhere.

What this writer vividly remembers is that the attacker was running alongside our car and he immediately alerted the photographer to conceal the camera, which he did.

As the driver stepped on the gas, the car behind us accelerated too, leaving us to ponder if they were the perpetrators or just a fellow motorist desperate to flee the scene.

The photographer, seated next to the driver, was also disoriented, covering his face with his hands.

After this writer regained his vision, he was met with a horrific sight, the driver speeding along with his head still buried on the steering wheel, desperately trying to guess the road ahead.

This writer could not help but think, "Is he still mentally okay?"

The situation was dire — the photographer in the front passenger seat had become temporarily blinded and the driver was in a similar state.

This writer was the only one spared, the only person who could still see and think clearly, as the pepper spray had heavily affected both the driver and photographer, who sat in the front.

It might sound like an action movie but the driver managed to drive for about approximately 200metres with his head on the steering wheel, blindly guessing the road ahead, as if he was dodging bullets.

This writer gripped the driver's headrest, trying to steady himself as he attempted to control the careening vehicle.

His feet sought the brakes, but they were out of reach at the same time also fighting the terrifying thought of leaping from the moving car, acutely aware that the worst could happen, given the driver's blindness.

"Please stop!" this writer screamed and the driver instinctively hit the brakes, producing a loud screeching sound as the vehicle came to an abrupt halt just a hair's breadth away from the pavement we were about to crash into.

Miracle!

The two men partially regained their sight, and a collective sigh of relief filled the air as we realised we had somehow ended up on a busy road, surrounded by numerous vehicles, and had narrowly avoided a catastrophic crash.

This news crew, still reeling from the pepper spray, made its way to Herald House, where it rushed to find running water to rinse eyes and ease the burning sensation.

Our Editor Victoria Ruzvidzo had assigned us to observe and document the night life in Harare Central Business District, but little did we know that we would live to tell a harrowing tale of survival.

This news team would roam the CBD at unconventional hours, capturing untold stories that emerge under darkness of the night.

The night life turned into a nightmare.

Let's forget about the vegetable vendors who start selling things like onions and green beans and of course ladies of the night, who begin their business as the day winds down.

It's a story for another day.

The news team rushed to the Zimbabwe Republic Police Post at Fife Avenue Shopping Centre to make a report.

Police are investigating the case, which is not isolated.

"We have never received a similar report before in this area," a police officer revealed to this news crew. "However, I recall a notable case in Chitungwiza where a girl was robbed in broad daylight after being sprayed with pepper spray," she added.

A security guard, who was the first to encounter this news team after the incident, showed us what pepper spray looks like and expressed concern.

"The problem is that it is easily accessible," he said. "Besides my gun, this is one of the weapons I carry, and it's unfortunate that robbers are now using it to target people at road intersections and traffic lights.'"

When contacted for comment, national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations will be carried out to account for the culprits.