A HEATED exchange erupted in the National Assembly recently after legislators challenged the government over worsening public transport problems in major cities, with officials denying that Zimbabwe is facing a significant crisis despite growing dependence on unregistered mishikashika vehicles.
The under-provision of formal, government-backed Zupco services has led to a reliance on pirate taxis and unregulated kombis.
While mushikashika operators fill a crucial gap, they pose severe safety risks to passengers and pedestrians and exacerbate gridlock.
Raising the issue in Parliament, Lobengula-Magwegwe legislator Tendai Nyathi questioned government policy on urban transport, citing the near disappearance of Zupco buses in cities such as Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru.
Responding on behalf of the government, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi defended the liberalisation of the transport sector, arguing that private players should meet commuter demands.
“The transport sector in Zimbabwe was liberalised,” Ziyambi said. “Currently, I do not believe that we have a very significant crisis in terms of transportation in the country.”
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His remarks drew sharp criticism from Nyathi, who accused the minister of ignoring the daily struggles faced by commuters.
“We see these problems everyday. We see that there is now an influx of Honda Fit cars, which are used as mishikashika ferrying people from where they reside to town and to industrial sites. This is because there is a crisis,” the lawmaker said.
Nyathi insisted that the government cannot continue denying the reality on the ground, where thousands of commuters rely on pirate taxis and private vehicles due to unreliable public transport services.
However, Ziyambi maintained that the mushrooming of pirate commuter vehicles reflected economic opportunities created through transport sector liberalisation rather than evidence of failure by the State.
“The hon member has noticed an opportunity, which the government has created in the transport industry,” Ziyambi said. “We believe there is an opportunity that is there within the transport sector for those among us who want to invest there.”
Meanwhile, opposition proportional legislator Lynette Karenyi (Chikanga) shifted attention to Zimbabwe’s neglected railway infrastructure, asking whether the government planned to revive commuter rail services to reduce pressure on roads and urban transport systems.
She asked: “We used to have workers from, for example, Mabvuku to town using trains. What is government policy on that?”
In response, Ziyambi revealed that the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), under Mutapa Investment Fund, is seeking investors to revive operations.
He added that reviving rail transport would help to ease congestion on roads and reduce damage the road network caused by heavy trucks transporting coal and minerals.
The government has repeatedly promised to revive NRZ and modernise urban transport systems, but commuters across Zimbabwe’s cities continue facing transport challenges amid rising costs, limited bus availability and growing reliance on informal operators.