Police push to outlaw pirate taxis

Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is pressing for the enactment of a law that deals with pirate taxis commonly known as “mushikashika” as it emerged yesterday that 123 unlicensed drivers were arrested countrywide this year after being involved in road traffic accidents. The current legislation did not have deterrent measures against the pirate taxis and errant commuter omnibus crews.

The 123 unlicensed drivers were arrested between January 1 and September 30 this year, statistics revealed. Some of them are still assisting police with investigations, while others have their cases pending before the courts.

They face charges of driving without driver’s licences, negligent driving and culpable homicide. In an interview yesterday, the officer commanding Police National Traffic, Senior Assistant Commissioner Fellie Chikowero-Mjanga, said there was need for a new law to deal with the pirate taxis and omnibus crews.

“We are currently lobbying for a legislation, which will decisively deal with mushikashika. We want an amendment of the legislation to take into account of mushikashika,” she said. She said the force had noted that deterrent measures would instil discipline among motorists.

Snr Asst Comm Chikowero-Mjanga expressed concern over some kombi drivers who were illegally employing touts to load their vehicles especially in the CBD. She said most of them contributed largely to road accidents.

“This practice is rampant in Harare and at one point a police officer was knocked down while enforcing the law. “The tout sped off, but we managed to arrest him and that is when we later discovered that he had no drivers’ licence and that he was a tout that had been illegally employed by the driver,” she said.

She urged kombi owners to be strict with their drivers on such practices. She said there was also a militant behaviour that was being displayed by kombi and pirate taxi drivers in which they didn’t comply with police orders.

She said for knocking down and killing a policeman, the charge was no longer culpable homicide since those accused would have done it intentionally. Snr Asst Comm Chikowero-Mjanga said the new traffic enforcement vehicles would be used to bring sanity countrywide.