admin
The swift reaction by police to arrest ring-leaders of last week’s violence at Sakubva Bus Terminus is laudable.
Prominent Mutare businessman and politician, Isau Mapfumi, has been arrested following the skirmishes involving machete-wielding tout gangs.
His counterpart, Leonard Mukumba, who owns Mukumba Bothers trading as Inter-Africa Bus Services, is on the police wanted list.
Mukumba and Mupfumi own a fleet of buses plying several routes in the country and they have been locked in a battle for passengers.
The battle for passengers turned ugly last week when machete-wielding gangs fought each other in a bloody turf war. Two people were seriously injured during the skirmishes.
It looks like a miracle that noone was killed. The images that have been circulating, showing some of the injuries sustained by victims, show that this was a vicious fight.
One of the victims had a deep cut above his eye. He was lucky that he didn’t lose his eye.
It was clear there were ring leaders who sponsored the violence as touts fought over loading bays and ranks.
This was a well organised attack and it became clear that a lot of preparations went into it.
The fracas spread to Harare-Mutare Old Rank and Mudzviti ranks.
Reports say many of the thugs were paid to cause commotion.
This is unacceptable because violence should be condemned all the time.
What is refreshing is that most of the suspected kingpins have been arrested with the police sending a very powerful message that no one is immune to prosecution.
Those who bankroll thugs should face the music as they are putting the lives of many people at risk.
Many passengers have been indecently abused by the thugs during these perennial battles. Others have lost valuables during the chaos.
The Mutare thugs should be prosecuted and punished accordingly.
This is the only way we can restore sanity at parking bays and ranks.
It will also send a powerful message to others that this wild behaviour is unacceptable.
The Zimbabwe Public Transport Organisation (ZPTO)’s chairperson, Dr Samuel Nhanhanga has also backed the arrest of people inciting or causing unrest to be arrested.
This is refreshing news from the ZPTO who also want sanity to prevail at parking bays and ranks.
The police should be applauded for the amazing job they are doing.
We don’t want to see the taxi turf wars in South Africa being replayed on our soil. In places like Cape Town, these taxi turf wars are serious and deadly battles and we have even seen a number of arson attacks on passenger rail services and buses, acts of extortion, murder, and violent conflicts.
In August last year, South African police confirmed the arrest of, at least 72 people, for public violence amid a taxi strike, which left, at least two people dead, in Cape Town.
In another incident, last year, gunmen opened fire at a taxi stand and killed four people who were sitting in a minibus and wounded another four.
We don’t want to see all this happening here.
Online Reporter