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Freeman Razemba and Daniel Kachere Herald Reporters
POLICE Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri has with immediate effect ordered officers to stop operating any public service vehicle carrying passengers.The force has given them two months to wind up their businesses and action will be taken against anyone defying the order, issued in accordance with Police Standing Orders and the Police Act.
This follows indications that half of the commuter omnibuses operating in Harare are owned by police officers. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development heard on Monday that this was fuelling corruption whose effect was to enrich police officers as they victimise those vehicles owned by civilians.
Harare Commuter Omnibus chairperson Mr Cosmas Mbonjani said this while giving oral evidence before the committee, chaired by Epworth National Assembly member, Cde Amos Midzi (Zanu-PF).
National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said the order would help ensure there was no conflict of interest with the officers’ mandate as provided by the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
“The officers have been given a grace period of two months to wind up business. This measure is also meant to ensure that police officers do not engage in corrupt and other nefarious activities associated with operation and ownership of transport business other related vice,” he said.
Chief Supt Nyathi, however, denied that 50 percent of kombis were owned by police officers. He said as one of the measures to curb incidences of corruption within the rank and file of the police, Comm-Gen Chihuri constituted a board of inquiry to this effect.
“One of the findings of the board was that indeed some commuter omnibuses are owned by police officers, but the number is insignificant to constitute half of the commuter omnibus population in Harare of any other city in the country. The correct position is that 459 police officers in Zimbabwe own a total of 647 commuter omnibuses which constitutes only eight percent of Harare’s commuter omnibus population currently standing at 6 000 commuter omnibuses,” Chief Supt Nyathi said.
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