Online Reporter
Post Reporter
POLICE in Mutare have reprimanded touts against lawlessness and harassment of vendors at bus termini and on the streets across the city, sternly warning that they are geared to decisively deal with the culprits and bring them to book.
The Joint Operations Command (JOC), comprising Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe National Army and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, today held exercises in Sakubva and the city centre to sensitise touts, vendors and the general public on the need to uphold law and order when conducting their daily business.
This comes in the wake of recent rife reports that some touts in the city were terrorising commuters and travellers while also harassing vendors and demanding “facilitation and protection fees”.
Speaking on the sidelines of the exercise, acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, said the long arm of the law will catch up with any errant elements that disrupt public safety and security.
“We are here to raise awareness on the need to maintain law and order in public spaces, especially at bus termini. Touts have earned the notoriety of harassing the commuting and travelling public as well as vendors around the city. Some of them have also been going around demanding facilitation and protection fees from vendors. We are geared to put a decisive end to all that lawlessness and ensure that members of the public go about that daily business without any infringement,” he said.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka urged the public to report to their nearest police stations any errant behaviour by touts and other rogue elements.
“The security services will remain on high alert, regularly conducting patrols around the city. We will always be vigilant to curb any criminal activities, and the public must report whenever they encounter any. As law-abiding citizens, we must all contribute to the development of our country so that no one and no place is left behind,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
Most vendors, commuters and travellers commended the law enforcement agents for being proactive.
“Travelling has become a nightmare as we are always suffer harassment at the hands of the touts. Sometimes they force us into their buses and kombis, and in the ensuing melee, some of our personal belongings get lost or torn. We salute our security services for their commitment and dedication to duty by weeding the touts out,” said a traveller at Sakubva Msuika, who declined to be named.
A city vendor who spoke on condition of anonymity said police must conduct frequent blitzkriegs to net the touts.
“Being a vendor has become an unpleasant experience because touts are always pestering us as if they are law enforcement agents. If they are not demanding money for one reason or the other, then they are confiscating our wares and merchandise. We welcome this move by the security service to reprimand them and they must follow it up with arrests if any of them is found on the wrong side of the law,” she said.
