Tafadzwa Nyikadzino

The recently launched operation against unregistered vehicles that is targeting kombis and mushika-shikas needs strong enforcement from the police to succeed because of various positive aspects that can be obtained from its success.

The operation, which is not new to the country as it was launched before, stands as a test to the newly appointed Police Commissioner General, Steven Mutamba, to see his hand in terms of enforcement.

Previous efforts to curb unlicensed vehicles failed because of various drawbacks that came from officers who allegedly accepted bribes from kombi operators and violators of road laws to be allowed to operate without proper documentation.

This resulted in unfair situations where operators that pay bribes can get protection to disregard regulations, while those who do not pay are persecuted with impunity.

The selective enforcement between those who bribe officers and those who do not is the reason why people continue to see kombis and unlicensed operators continue to exist while disregarding the law.

The acts of lawlessness being witnessed include Kombis loading and unloading at undesignated sites, overloading passengers, reckless driving, and causing congestion in the Central Business District and public roads through parking at undesignated sites. This has been ongoing for a very long time, a development that calls for immediate action.

So the new operation came at the most perfect time. With the appointment of Commissioner General Mutamba, the nation expects the operation to be a success, considering that new hands are now on the driving seat of our police force. If conducted successfully, this operation will bring a lot of positives on our roads.

It will lead to improved road safety as reckless drivers will be curbed. The operation will also bring order by ensuring that motorists and kombi operators comply with regulations and maintain their vehicles.

Our streets will see the reduction of traffic congestion, and passengers will be protected from exploitation from kombi drivers.

However, it should be noted that for the operation to succeed, the police force should employ the highest levels of integrity as they execute their job. This means that they should shun any forms of corruption, bribery, and extortion.

There is also a need for strong law enforcement. The police should rope in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to work towards rooting out corruption.

Most importantly, public engagements should be conducted to raise awareness to both Kombi operators, owners of unlicensed vehicles and passengers to get everyone on the same page on the need to restore order and sanity on public roads.

The new Police Commissioner General needs the country’s support to succeed in this operation.

According to a recent statement by the police, there are 13 500 unregistered Kombis and pirate taxis that are operating in Harare. The police also revealed that only 2 950 combis our of 16 500 are registered.
This level of lawlessness has to be stopped