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Victor Maphosa
Herald Reporter
Serious corruption allegations have been raised against traffic officers patrolling Seke Road linking Harare and Chitungwiza, with motorists appealing to authorities to urgently intervene and put a stop to the sickening rot.
Since the latest introduction of the lockdown to level four to help curb the spread of Covid-19, all major roads have been festooned with roadblocks to flush out non-essential workers from travelling unnecessarily, but for some rotten apples, these checkpoints have become feeding troughs.
Along Seke Road, eyebrows have been raised by the use of dusty roads to evade the main roadblock and curiously in the bushes, police are also manning roadblocks where they apparently negotiate with some motorists.
During early hours of the day, the lane leading to Harare is unusually congested, to such an extent that motorists end up using the lane of oncoming traffic, exposing other motorists to road traffic accidents.
It is on this lane that traffic officers stop offenders.
The Herald crew, working on a story of lockdown enforcements, visited the site where they also joined other motorists and used the lane of oncoming traffic.
A traffic officer stopped the crew and asked for exemption letters and any form of identification.
The crew produced their Zimbabwe Media Commission press cards and explained that they were at work. The traffic officer told the crew that they had broken the law by driving on the wrong lane.
He also demanded the car keys from the driver who complied.
The process was done to most of the motorists who were using the opposite lane, with an exception to “special” others who were briefly stopped and allowed to proceed using the same lane.
One of the motorists who was stopped and had his car keys taken by the traffic officer said there was need for fairness in the application of traffic laws by the officers.
“Look, I am not sure if there is a selective application of law today,” he said. “I was stopped here and my car keys were taken away, my crime is driving on the opposite lane and it is true. But what is surprising is there are a lot of motorists who were behind me whose keys were never taken and they were allowed to proceed using the same lane.
“Why were they allowed to proceed, are they not also breaking the law.
“Or is it that there are some people who are above the law.”
Another disgruntled and irate motorist said police should deploy special officers secretly and arrest traffic officers engaging in corrupt activities.
“It seems those without money will not pass through here,” he said. “I have been here for an hour and five vehicles which were stopped after me have already proceeded. I was told that they will take me to Makoni Police Station where I will pay a fine. They also took my car keys. I am not sure if that is lawful.
“What is shocking is that some are allowed to use the same lane that we have been prohibited to use. I am also an essential service worker and I should be allowed to pass through just like what is happening to others. If they say we should not use this lane, then let not even one motorist use it.
“They should have taken keys of every vehicle that used this lane, but hundreds are just passing through. Maybe it is my unlucky day. It would be best of everyone if authorities would intervene to ensure there is sanity. These traffic officers are abusing their office. They should be removed from here and others be deployed.”
The Herald interviewed one of the motorists who used the gravel road and he said he was told to “do something” for him to pass through.
“They asked for my exemption letter and I gave them,” he said. “I was told that I had committed a crime since I had used an unauthorised road. I negotiated and gave them something. Otherwise they were not going to allow me to pass.”
The Herald observed many vehicles passing through using the lane of oncoming traffic, including ZUPCO buses and a pirate commuter omnibus.
After two hours of waiting, The Herald crew was handed back their car keys and told to go back to the correct lane.
Online Reporter