Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
TWO kombi drivers have been jailed for TWO years, within just one week, as law enforcement officers begin to pile on the pressure on this group of drivers from hell who have no respect for the rulebook.
The jailing of these two kombi drivers is expected to send a powerful message to their counterparts. Tinashe Hwariro, a kombi driver from Murisa Village in Seke communal lands, was jailed for two years after being convicted of SEVEN counts of violating the Road Traffic Act following a series of accidents on the same day.
Hwariro pleaded guilty to two counts of negligent driving, one count of reckless driving, two counts of failing to stop after a serious road traffic accident and driving without a valid driver’s licence. Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Rutendo Mangwiro sent him behind bars for two years for all the offences.Prosecutor Mr Malvin Mwendera told the court that all the offences occurred on the same day, around 7 pm, along an unnamed road in Chitungwiza’s Unit N suburb.
One of the victims, 49-year-old Mr Pearsom Kanzviti, was driving a Toyota Sprinter heading west along the road while Hwariro, who was driving a Nissan Caravan public service vehicle with registration number AHA 0156, was travelling east when the incident occurred.According to Mr Mwendera, Hwariro drove negligently by encroaching into Mr Kanzviti’s lane, sideswiping his vehicle on the right side.
The incident left Mr Kanzviti’s car with a broken right-side mirror, a damaged right rear corner lamp, a dent on the right front door and a damaged right front fender. Instead of stopping, Hwariro fled the scene and collided with two other vehicles belonging to Fandress Mbazima and Kweri Prince.
Last week, another kombi driver, who drove a Toyota Hiace on a pavement along the Harare/Bulawayo highway and then turned into oncoming traffic after being confronted by the police, was also jailed for two years for reckless driving.
Paul Tsiga was fined US$100 for failing to comply with police orders. Police in Harare hailed the decision to punish the reckless motorist with a jail term. “Police in Harare applaud the judiciary following the arrest and conviction of a motorist for reckless driving,” said provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza.
“Circumstances were that on July 15, 2025 (Monday), at around 0710hrs, the motorist was driving a Toyota Hiace, registration number ADZ 6505, on a pavement separating the dual carriage way of Harare-Bulawayo Road, due east towards the CBD.
“Upon reaching a certain point, opposite a Petro Trade service station, the motorist was ordered to stop and instead of complying, he made a U-turn and drove against oncoming traffic.
“He was trapped by traffic proceeding and was subsequently arrested.
“On July 16, 2025, the motorist was taken to Mbare Magistrates Court facing charges of reckless driving.”
