MUTARE– Outspoken sungura musician Hosiah Chipanga has blasted the police describing them as a corrupt bunch seeking to fleece commuter operators.
The accusation comes after most Mutare kombis are parked in protest over incessant roadblocks.
Chipanga a famous contemporary critic of government, told 263Chat that the home affairs force should not focus on commuters but protecting the people.
He blasted the force for being kombi police, as tensions rise over the brazen behaviour of some unscrupulous members who are soliciting bribes from commuter operators on a daily basis.
He also said the preferential treatment of some commuters was creating chaos for the low bracket earner, amid high unemployment levels.
On Monday residents of Mutare were stranded as most commuters plying their routes were parked in protest against heavy police presence.
“In my own knowledge the real duties of the police is to ensure the people’s safety, they work with people, and this is not what they are doing. The police work with the people and indentify with the problems of the people and to protect us, they don’t work with cars.
“We are used to the VID working with vehicles not the police if they now want to work with cars they should go and get spanners and be trained as mechanics,” he said.
Chipanga also defended some drivers for taking short cuts and failing to comply as an end result of the delays caused by heavy police presence.
He however urged the public service vehicles to observe and comply with the laws of the nation.
“While I do not condone breaking of the law sometimes the drivers have not option because they are continuously delayed at road blocks where for example one gets through two or three blocks from Dangamvura into town.
“Police should show restraint and care for the citizens not to fuel corruption in the roads,” he said.
As Chipanga addressed this reporter over the issues a group of animated touts immediately mobbed him and praising his brevity in denouncing corruption in his latest album.
Pressed on this matter he declined to divulge much, but however confirmed that the album was out and would soon hit the airwaves.
“Yes the album is out and I am going to collect it as we speak. The issues raised there are of concern to the people, wait till you hear it,” he said.
This development comes at a time when there is growing tension against members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police traffic section for soliciting bribes from the commuters popularly referred to as kombis.
Operators are also angry at the number of roadblocks within the vicinity of the CBD, with the Dangamvura CBD route having at least four roadblocks within a 15 km radius.
A commuter operator Blessing Mudotsa whose commuters ply the Dangamvura CBD route said he was not aware of the plan by commuters to park their vehicles.
He said he was forced to participate when some touts started turning rowdy against his employees.
“In the morning my buses were on the road until I was forced to participate, I personally did not know of the plan, but because of the violence I had to stop my kombis.
“We were later called to a meeting at the President’s Office where the issue was discussed but we are still in darkness over the solution of the issue,” he said.
