Online Reporter
Mutare Bureau
IN the spirit of the World Cup, can you imagine fitting the entire Spanish World Cup final first XI, their coach, his assistant and the team manager into a mushikashika?
Imagine fitting these 14 people into a Nissan AD van, a vehicle which, according to its Japanese manufacturers, was built to carry a maximum of five people?
It has two seats in front, which are supposed to be occupied by the driver and a passenger, and a bench seat at the rear, designed for three people.
Now, imagine fitting the same car THREE times over, with 14 people, including the driver, and two perched on the roof of the vehicle?
Then, add the luggage, a lot of it, fitted inside the car and also on top of the vehicle.
That is the scene which greeted our photographer, Nyasha Chawatama, on Friday, along the dusty Marange-Mabiya Road.
The road leads to the Ejuwell Jekenisheni Headquarters shrine, where thousands of church members had gathered for religious activities. Nyasha’s journalistic instincts exploded and he clicked his camera and the images he captured have turned into gold.
They have been used by the police to arrest the driver of that car, following a joint operation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and traffic police.
They used the car’s registration number, which is visible in the photographs, to locate the vehicle, which was carrying passengers on its roof in a clear violation of road traffic regulations.
Confirming the arrest, Acting Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, said the driver was now in police custody. He also said the vehicle has been impounded pending the completion of investigations.
“An alert dragnet team comprising CID detectives and traffic police tracked down the vehicle, a Nissan AD van, which was captured by The Manica Post photographer Nyasha Chawatama carrying passengers on top of its roof.
“I can confirm that the driver has been arrested and is in police custody as we speak, while the vehicle in question has been impounded,” said Ass-Insp Chinyoka.
He said the suspect was assisting police with investigations and would appear in court once the investigations were complete.
“The driver was putting the lives of innocent people in danger.
“He is currently assisting the police with investigations and is expected to appear in court once we are through,” he said.
The incident sparked widespread public concern after the photographs circulated across social media platforms, with many Zimbabweans condemning the dangerous practice of transporting passengers on vehicle rooftops.
Road safety experts have consistently warned that overloading vehicles significantly increases the risk of fatal road traffic accidents, particularly on gravel roads where motorists face reduced traction and visibility.
Ass-Insp Chinyoka appealed to members of the public to play their part in promoting road safety by refusing to board overloaded vehicles.
“Members of the public should also refuse to travel in overloaded vehicles. It is dangerous and puts their precious lives at risk,” he warned.
Police have repeatedly cautioned transport operators against overloading vehicles and disregarding road traffic regulations, saying such offences endanger not only passengers but also other road users.
Authorities have urged motorists and commuter operators to comply with traffic laws at all times, stressing that reckless conduct on the country’s roads will continue to attract stiff law enforcement action.
