Kombi operators resolve to defy touts

national chairman of the Urban Transporters Association of Zimbabwe Mr Wilbert Zhakata yes­terday to map the way forward.
Mr Zhakata said all operators had been instructed to stop paying protec­tion fees to the touts known as “Mandimbandimba”.

“They are eating into our profits. That money they take from us is our profit. Some of them have become very rich without investing a single cent,” he said.
The term “Mandimbandimba” refers to the “invincibility” of these people.
“From tomorrow (today) we urge all operators to start manning their own ranks. We are also instructing them to stop paying any money to the rank marshals,” he said.

Mr Zhakata said the operators would put in place a user friendly system that promotes the interest of commuters and operators. The move is, however, expected to be resisted by the touts.
Mr Zhakata disowned touts and rank marshals who are using the association’s name to extort money from kombi operators. He said some of the touts and rank marshals lied that they were rais­ing money for Zanu-PF activities as they worked for certain individuals.

The individuals (names supplied) take the money and use it to live flam­boyant lifestyles that include buying top of the range vehicles like BMWs, Mer­cedes Benz and four-wheel drive vehi­cles. Some of them have built mansions in leafy suburbs of Harare.

“After realising that these people have been using Zanu-PF to extort money from us, we now challenge them to bring the party resolution instructing them to collect money from us,” Mr Zhakata said.
He said they approached Zanu-PF and were assured the party supported indigenisation and would not work against its own policies.

Mr Zhakata said some operators had threatened to pull off the routes in protest against the illegal activities.
Some of the thugs, he said, had bought their own commuter omni-buses using proceeds from the illegal activities. The kombis owned by the touts and marshals do not queue or pay the touts while they allegedly force other operators to offload into their vehicles.

Harare has up to 6 000 kombis, of which less than half are registered. The touts collect up to US$1 000 each per day amid reports that operators were losing up to US$20 000 daily to the touts.