158 more touts arrested

Commuters also hailed the police action.
In an interview yesterday, Minister Chombo said the absence of leadership and control had led to the current situation.
“It even made the city noisy with unnecessary friction. Operators resorted to paying touts because there has not been visible policing from local authorities.
“We support action taken by the police on behalf of residents as the municipal police have failed in the areas under their jurisdiction.”
Minister Chombo urged council to come up with ways to take charge of the ranks.
“The municipal police should not wait for national police to intervene as it is their duty to act against touts.”
He said failure by municipal police to act meant they surrendered their authority to the touts.
“I do not see why the municipal police are getting paid,” Minister Chombo said.
He blamed the touts for the congestion in the CBD.
“Municipal police should work with the ZRP or work in a synergy with the national army as well so that law is restored.”
Minister Chombo said only authorised players must be allowed to operate in the designated areas. 
“That will enable council to resuscitate infrastructure at termini so that operators will see the reason why they should pay,” he said.
Commuters also expressed satisfaction on the current scenario.
A commuter from St Mary’s in Chitungwiza said the touts were criminals.
“This round-up of touts came at a time when ranks harboured criminals who would victimise women and others who drank alcohol in public.
“Hopefully, the language of these rank marshals will never see the light again and the police have to continue with the arrests . . . we applaud that.”
A kombi driver identified as Spratan said they had been working very well at the ranks over the past two days.
“We are now working under a better environment and touts forced us into overcharging commuters.
“Hopefully we will be able to reach our targets and feed our families very well with the little left after paying our targets,” he said.
Meanwhile, Harare provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector James Sabau yesterday said the marshals were still going through a vetting process.
“We are going to maintain that stance until there is sanity at the ranks. It’s not just a one-off event and we will continue making the arrests,” he said.
Chief Insp Sabau said they wanted people to move freely without any hustles.
Of the 308 arrested on Wednesday, 83 of them were still in custody and assisting with investigations.
Some of them were fined and released.
Police are checking criminal records of some of the touts.
During the blitz, pirate taxis were not spared.
Sanity, however, prevailed at city bus ranks and terminuses yesterday following the police clampdown.
But city sources revealed that Harare was not prepared to fill in the void created by the removal of touts and marshals.
In the interim, order and peace characterised operations at the bus ranks as commuters’ freely boarded kombis while kombi crews were free from the pushing and shoving that had become the daily norm.
A number of commuters who had not travelled into the city on Wednesday were yesterday surprised with the order at the ranks.
Harare City spokesman Mr Leslie Gwindi, said council was going to work together with the police to enforce and maintain order at bus ranks.
“We are ready to discuss the modalities of deploying our personnel with the ZRP.
“The law says we should work in consultation with ZRP,” he said.
Town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi also confirmed the city was moving in to take charge of the bus ranks.
He referred further questions to city treasurer Mr Misheck Mubvumbi who has been charged with the management of ranks and terminuses.
Mr Mubvumbi, however, said council was complementing the ZRP.
He said the traffic enforcement unit was going round the city removing touts, marshals and pirate taxi operators.
He said council was discussing with police to check validity of route permits and rank discs at roadblocks.
Kombis without these requirements would not be allowed on the roads.
Director of urban planning services Mr Psychology Chiwanga said kombis that picked and dropped passengers at undesignated points would have their permits revoked.
He said only two bus ranks at Copacabana and Market Square would use the holding bays.
These holding bays would be used by kombis plying the western routes.
He said passengers would be dropped and picked up at the designated bus ranks.
Kombis that use the Market Square rank would use Bishop Gaul Avenue and drive into Rotten Row then turn right into Robert Mugabe and right into Harare Street until they drive into the bus rank.
The whole of Robert Mugabe Road is being converted into a one way street.
Those that use the Copacabana rank (Speke Avenue) would drive into Bishop Gaul then into Rotten Row and into Samora Machel.
The kombis would turn right into Chinhoyi Street until they get to the rank.
The way out would be through Cameroon Street into Jason Moyo then Rotten Row to the various western suburbs.
The usual routes apply for the other ranks.
He said holding bays for other routes would soon be designated.
Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda declared that the city was ready to take over.
“We are more than ready to deploy our personnel from the city treasurer’s department, ably assisted by security details from the municipal police to man and collect the requisite fees from all our termini together with the ancillary facilities within the CBD as well as the whole of greater Harare,” he said.