MASVINGO — Ten people have died and several others been injured from clashes between the municipal police, on the one hand pirate taxis and vendors, on the other since January this year, residents told council and their representative body, a situation that will force the council to re-think its policy of removing them from undesignated pick-up and vending points.
By Tatenda Chitagu
The deceased were run over by speeding kombis, illegal pirate taxis known as zvipipipi (derived from their hooting for customers) fleeing during several raids in the city.
The shocking revelations came out during a community meeting held this week that was attended by several councillors at Mucheke Hall.
It was reported that while some lost their lives, many had been left disabled and wheelchair-bound after being hit by the overspeeding of these public transporters.
Although the names of the deceased could not be established, however, Rocky Kamuzondo from ward three said about four people had died so far in Runyararo West high-density suburb where he stays, while another unidentified resident from Mucheke A in ward two said three other people also lost lives, including a baby run over by a truck as her mother fled the municipal police raids.
The other three were said to have been hit in the city centre and later died from injuries sustained.
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba said the development did not augur well for residents’ right to life, and urged council to find an amicable way to solve the menace without causing loss of lives.
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“MURRA notes with concern that the residents continue to lose their lives due to such clashes.
“Although we condemn kombi and zvipipi drivers for reckless driving and picking up commuters at undesignated points, it is in the same vein that the city council should be blamed for paying deaf ears to our calls for more humps in the high density areas,” Mtimba said.
He urged the city council to construct humps to save the lives of innocent residents.
Deputy mayor James Chiwara, who attended the meeting while representing his ward three, said the council was financially strapped and promised to find ways to resolve the issue, saying they would engage the police and public transport associations so that they warn their drivers not to pick and drop commuters at undesignated points.
He also said they would engage the police to control traffic at crossing points or black spots during peak hours.
In 2014, a council truck was torched by angry residents after it crashed to death a vendor’s baby who was fleeing municipal police.
