News / National
Cops, municipal police shield mshikashikas
14 Dec 2024 at 10:41hrs | Views
In the heart of Harare's central business district, lawlessness and corruption are rife as pirate taxi operators, known as "mshikashika," continue to defy traffic regulations with apparent impunity, while law enforcement officers engage in a troubling dance of bribery and complicity. Despite efforts by authorities to clamp down on illegal transport operations, a pattern of corruption within the police force and city council officials is perpetuating the chaos.
Mshikashika drivers, operating at busy intersections, transport passengers to destinations across the city and beyond, often flouting traffic laws and ignoring designated bus stops. These operators, familiar with the frequent raids by police and municipal officers, are quick to enter into negotiations when caught, seeking to avoid having their vehicles impounded or facing long, arduous bureaucratic processes.
An investigation by Truth Diggers, the investigative unit of Alpha Media Holdings, has uncovered troubling evidence of corruption. Police officers, rather than enforcing the law, are alleged to be creating unholy alliances with the illegal operators. These officers are reportedly demanding bribes to overlook violations, allowing mshikashika drivers to continue their operations without consequence.
Truth Diggers spent several days documenting the lawlessness that pervades Harare's busy streets. At an illegal pick-up point along Sam Nujoma Street, between Josiah Tongogara and Herbert Chitepo avenues, buses, kombis, and even private vehicles used as pirate taxis, openly flouted road regulations. Despite signs clearly marking the area as a "No Stopping" and "Hitchhiking Prohibited" zone, the area was crowded with passengers and drivers alike.
When the Truth Diggers team arrived at around midday, the area resembled a busy bus terminus, with vehicles stopping to canvass for passengers heading to destinations such as Mazowe, Bindura, Mvurwi, and Chiweshe in Mashonaland Central province. This disregard for road rules was evident as traffic flowed in two lanes instead of four, creating severe congestion.
As the team observed the scene, a ZRP officer and a municipal police officer passed by without taking any action to stop the illegal activity. The officers, however, quickly turned their attention to the journalists, questioning why they were filming the scene. One officer, who was identified, expressed concern about the potential consequences of being filmed engaging with the mshikashika operators, fearing the exposure of his involvement in the situation.
In other parts of the city, Truth Diggers observed similar scenes. At Simon Muzenda, Copacabana, Market Square, and Rezende bus termini, police officers could often be seen engaging in friendly banter with pirate taxi operators. These interactions created an atmosphere of camaraderie, further emboldening the illegal transporters.
At Nelson Mandela Avenue and Rezende Street, pirate taxis competed with registered kombis, who were forced to operate from designated termini. The situation across Harare was the same, with mshikashika operators flouting regulations, resulting in chaotic and unsafe road conditions.
In interviews with bus crew members, Truth Diggers uncovered further details about the pirate taxi industry. One crew member revealed that operators pay significant fees to access legal termini, but then pay additional bribes to individuals controlling the spaces to ensure they can load passengers without interference. "There is also a rise in demand for protection fees," the crew member explained. "We pay for access to the legal termini, but we also pay for protection against possible clamping and impounding."
Despite these revelations, Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama dismissed the claims of collusion between the city and pirate taxi operators, calling them "absurd" and demanding proof of any such deals. "No such deal ever existed, no such deal exists, and no such deal will ever exist with the City of Harare," Gama said.
However, further evidence emerged during a commission of inquiry, where municipal police officer Farai Matewere testified that the council had been collecting daily payments from illegal commuter operators, though the funds were not reaching council coffers. Matewere admitted to collecting US$1,500 daily from kombi operators at CBD bus termini, but revealed that the money was not being deposited into official council accounts.
The rise of pirate taxis has caused severe traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. Notorious intersections, such as Robert Mugabe and Julius Nyerere Way, are overwhelmed with mshikashika operators picking up passengers for destinations including Msasa, Mabvuku, Tafara, Ruwa, and Chitungwiza. These operators engage in reckless driving, often making sudden lane changes, disregarding traffic lights, and driving against oncoming traffic. Overloading is also common, putting both passengers and pedestrians at risk.
The situation has grown so dire that street children, some as young as 10, have taken it upon themselves to direct traffic at busy intersections, often in exchange for tips from well-wishers, further exacerbating the chaos.
Greater Harare Association of Commuter Omnibus Operators chairperson Ngoni Katsvairo condemned the rise of pirate taxis, stating that compliant operators are at a disadvantage due to the illegal competition. "We have engaged council officials at the highest level to ensure compliant operators are protected from mshikashika operators," Katsvairo said. "These operators are taking away business from us, who would have paid for all government and council operating papers."
Efforts to get a comment from the national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, were unsuccessful by the time of going to print.
The lawlessness surrounding pirate taxis in Harare continues to undermine the city's traffic management efforts and raises serious questions about corruption within both the police and city council, highlighting the urgent need for effective reforms and accountability.
Mshikashika drivers, operating at busy intersections, transport passengers to destinations across the city and beyond, often flouting traffic laws and ignoring designated bus stops. These operators, familiar with the frequent raids by police and municipal officers, are quick to enter into negotiations when caught, seeking to avoid having their vehicles impounded or facing long, arduous bureaucratic processes.
An investigation by Truth Diggers, the investigative unit of Alpha Media Holdings, has uncovered troubling evidence of corruption. Police officers, rather than enforcing the law, are alleged to be creating unholy alliances with the illegal operators. These officers are reportedly demanding bribes to overlook violations, allowing mshikashika drivers to continue their operations without consequence.
Truth Diggers spent several days documenting the lawlessness that pervades Harare's busy streets. At an illegal pick-up point along Sam Nujoma Street, between Josiah Tongogara and Herbert Chitepo avenues, buses, kombis, and even private vehicles used as pirate taxis, openly flouted road regulations. Despite signs clearly marking the area as a "No Stopping" and "Hitchhiking Prohibited" zone, the area was crowded with passengers and drivers alike.
When the Truth Diggers team arrived at around midday, the area resembled a busy bus terminus, with vehicles stopping to canvass for passengers heading to destinations such as Mazowe, Bindura, Mvurwi, and Chiweshe in Mashonaland Central province. This disregard for road rules was evident as traffic flowed in two lanes instead of four, creating severe congestion.
As the team observed the scene, a ZRP officer and a municipal police officer passed by without taking any action to stop the illegal activity. The officers, however, quickly turned their attention to the journalists, questioning why they were filming the scene. One officer, who was identified, expressed concern about the potential consequences of being filmed engaging with the mshikashika operators, fearing the exposure of his involvement in the situation.
In other parts of the city, Truth Diggers observed similar scenes. At Simon Muzenda, Copacabana, Market Square, and Rezende bus termini, police officers could often be seen engaging in friendly banter with pirate taxi operators. These interactions created an atmosphere of camaraderie, further emboldening the illegal transporters.
At Nelson Mandela Avenue and Rezende Street, pirate taxis competed with registered kombis, who were forced to operate from designated termini. The situation across Harare was the same, with mshikashika operators flouting regulations, resulting in chaotic and unsafe road conditions.
In interviews with bus crew members, Truth Diggers uncovered further details about the pirate taxi industry. One crew member revealed that operators pay significant fees to access legal termini, but then pay additional bribes to individuals controlling the spaces to ensure they can load passengers without interference. "There is also a rise in demand for protection fees," the crew member explained. "We pay for access to the legal termini, but we also pay for protection against possible clamping and impounding."
Despite these revelations, Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama dismissed the claims of collusion between the city and pirate taxi operators, calling them "absurd" and demanding proof of any such deals. "No such deal ever existed, no such deal exists, and no such deal will ever exist with the City of Harare," Gama said.
However, further evidence emerged during a commission of inquiry, where municipal police officer Farai Matewere testified that the council had been collecting daily payments from illegal commuter operators, though the funds were not reaching council coffers. Matewere admitted to collecting US$1,500 daily from kombi operators at CBD bus termini, but revealed that the money was not being deposited into official council accounts.
The rise of pirate taxis has caused severe traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. Notorious intersections, such as Robert Mugabe and Julius Nyerere Way, are overwhelmed with mshikashika operators picking up passengers for destinations including Msasa, Mabvuku, Tafara, Ruwa, and Chitungwiza. These operators engage in reckless driving, often making sudden lane changes, disregarding traffic lights, and driving against oncoming traffic. Overloading is also common, putting both passengers and pedestrians at risk.
The situation has grown so dire that street children, some as young as 10, have taken it upon themselves to direct traffic at busy intersections, often in exchange for tips from well-wishers, further exacerbating the chaos.
Greater Harare Association of Commuter Omnibus Operators chairperson Ngoni Katsvairo condemned the rise of pirate taxis, stating that compliant operators are at a disadvantage due to the illegal competition. "We have engaged council officials at the highest level to ensure compliant operators are protected from mshikashika operators," Katsvairo said. "These operators are taking away business from us, who would have paid for all government and council operating papers."
Efforts to get a comment from the national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, were unsuccessful by the time of going to print.
The lawlessness surrounding pirate taxis in Harare continues to undermine the city's traffic management efforts and raises serious questions about corruption within both the police and city council, highlighting the urgent need for effective reforms and accountability.
Source - newsday
