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Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
THEY are not appreciated; they are looked down upon and disregarded by society and dismissed as misfits even though they are the backbone of the transport sector in Zimbabwe.
They are heroes, always alert and at the service of everyone in society, although they are not given the praise they deserve.
They put their lives at risk by transporting strangers, some of whom rob and harm them.
Indeed, being a private taxi driver can be a thankless job. Without such people, the general populace would be forced to live a life of begging for rides from car owners who, in most cases, have no interest in burdening themselves with transporting strangers.
Kilford Mukamba of Sizinda suburb has been a taxi driver for seven years and he has seen it all.
“People always look at the aspect of us ferrying them from one place to another and think that this is a useless occupation, yet in fact, the job is not as easy as it looks. This job comes with a lot of risks and also sacrifices, be it the working hours or the people you carry. At times we knock off very late and that proposes risks of robberies which puts our lives at risk. After knocking off very late at night, we are supposed to be on the roads very early in the morning again,” said Mukamba.
He said taxi drivers are heroes in the sense that they are always available to serve stranded people.
“We are always available at all times of need. Whenever someone encounters an emergency, the first person they think of is a taxi driver,” said Mukamba.
John Sibanda has had to contend with robbers who were pretending to be clients in need of transport.
“I have encountered some serious and risky situations because of this job, especially when operating during night time. There are many different people of many characteristics that come hiring us. At times you come across people who would be planning on robbing you, they would threaten you as soon as the car starts running. At times there are instances that people would hire our taxis and want to use them as getaway vehicles.
“So, this job requires bravery and someone alert so that they can deal with any situation at any time. The only problem is that we cannot carry weapons in our cars because they might just be used against us, which is why one is required to be clever,” said Sibanda.
Some taxi drivers said not only has the job offered them money to take care of their families but they have managed to gain life lessons from their experiences.
Josphat Madzivanyika has been a taxi driver for almost 20 years and the job has helped him to become a fluent Ndebele speaker. When he set foot in Bulawayo in the late 1990s, he could not speak isiNdebele.
“I came to Bulawayo in the late 90s, at that time I could not speak Ndebele but when I started driving taxis I picked up on the language. Through carrying many people who spoke the language, I had to learn the language so that I would be able to converse with them. As time went on, I learnt and now I can safely say I am fluent in the language. It is not only the Ndebele language that I have learnt but there are also some languages like Tonga and Tswana that I have learnt to pick up from this job,” said Madzivanyika.
While some taxi drivers complained of the late working hours and the tough experiences they have experienced on the job, some drivers love the challenges that come with being taxi drivers.Irvine Rusike said he loved his job and he would not trade it for anything in the world.
“I have always had a passion for driving and I can say this is the right job for me. I wanted to be a chauffeur from a young age and my dream came true, with this taxi I can go everywhere around the city and the country at large. This job gets me connected to many people which is a good thing, and I get to see many different places. Unlike a nine-to-five job where one is confined in an office for those hours, mine is flexible and open to adventure,” said Rusike.
With all the dedication, sacrifice, compromise and hard work bundled up in this career, it is worthy to recognise the importance of taxi drivers and give them their deserved glory. — @Sagepapie14
Online Reporter