Opinion / Columnist
Only You Can Stop The Abuse of Passengers on Zimbabwe's Public Transport
3 hrs ago | Views
Public transport in Zimbabwe has become a nightmare for many citizens, not because of the distance travelled or the fares charged, but because of the daily abuse passengers suffer at the hands of kombi operators, bus drivers, and their touts commonly known as mahwindi. What is supposed to be a service has been turned into a battlefield of insults, intimidation and harassment.
It is alarming that in a country with such an educated and resilient population, one hwindi can control an entire vehicle, hurling vulgar language and issuing degrading commands, while passengers sit in silence, munenge muinemandimba. This silence has emboldened touts and drivers to normalise disrespect, forgetting that passengers are customers paying for a service. Public transport is not a favour, it is a business that must be run with professionalism and respect.
The most affected are women and girls, who bear the brunt of sexual harassment, offensive remarks and humiliating treatment on a daily basis. Our mothers and sisters are forced to endure insults simply because they want to get to work, school, street or the market. This culture of abuse has gone unchecked for too long and the absence of accountability has created a toxic environment where disrespect is tolerated.
Authorities e.g. ZRP have looked the other way while touts and rogue operators hold passengers hostage. Law enforcement rarely intervenes and transport unions appear more concerned about defending operators than protecting commuters. The result is a breakdown of dignity in our transport system, where safety, courtesy and respect are afterthoughts.
Zimbabweans must wake up to the reality that they are paying customers. Passengers should demand dignity, organise themselves and push for enforcement of passenger rights. Transport operators should be reminded that without passengers there is no business. Commuter associations, government and civil society must urgently create reporting platforms where abusive drivers and touts can be named, shamed and penalised.
This is not simply about manners it is about human rights. Respectful and safe public transport is a necessity in any functioning society. If Zimbabwe is to restore pride and order in its cities and towns, it must start by reforming its transport culture. Silence in the face of abuse is complicity. It is time for commuters to rise, speak out and reclaim their dignity.
Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
+263772278161
It is alarming that in a country with such an educated and resilient population, one hwindi can control an entire vehicle, hurling vulgar language and issuing degrading commands, while passengers sit in silence, munenge muinemandimba. This silence has emboldened touts and drivers to normalise disrespect, forgetting that passengers are customers paying for a service. Public transport is not a favour, it is a business that must be run with professionalism and respect.
The most affected are women and girls, who bear the brunt of sexual harassment, offensive remarks and humiliating treatment on a daily basis. Our mothers and sisters are forced to endure insults simply because they want to get to work, school, street or the market. This culture of abuse has gone unchecked for too long and the absence of accountability has created a toxic environment where disrespect is tolerated.
Zimbabweans must wake up to the reality that they are paying customers. Passengers should demand dignity, organise themselves and push for enforcement of passenger rights. Transport operators should be reminded that without passengers there is no business. Commuter associations, government and civil society must urgently create reporting platforms where abusive drivers and touts can be named, shamed and penalised.
This is not simply about manners it is about human rights. Respectful and safe public transport is a necessity in any functioning society. If Zimbabwe is to restore pride and order in its cities and towns, it must start by reforming its transport culture. Silence in the face of abuse is complicity. It is time for commuters to rise, speak out and reclaim their dignity.
Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
+263772278161
Source - Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
