Police in Bulawayo have implored motorists to desist from paying bribes to police officers manning roadblocks during the festive season, reported <a href="https://cite.org.zw/dont-butter-the-cops-police-warn-against-bribery/">CITE</a>.
Addressing reporters and residents at the Bulawayo Media Centre on Thursday during a meeting hosted by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, Superintendent Crime Bulawayo West District, Enock Chishiri, warned that bribing police officers can have dire consequences. He said:
<blockquote>
We have mounted several roadblocks around the city to ensure that the vehicles moving on the road are roadworthy and that motorists adhere to road rules.
We urge motorists to desist from offering bribes to police officers on duty. We are curbing corruption and at the same time trying to keep everyone safe. People must not be complacent in committing crimes. 
There have been reports that when a vehicle is overloaded, passengers are asked to lie down or hide somehow so that they are not seen.
Such conduct is dangerous because if anything goes wrong, a lot of people will be hurt.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) acting spokesperson in Bulawayo Province, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, said the police will be in full force to enforce traffic rules. She said:
<blockquote>
The police will be having 24-hour roadblocks around the city to enforce compliance. We will be impounding all vehicles that are not roadworthy.
There are a lot of Mshikashika vehicles that pirate at this time of the year. So as means of keeping people safe, we are having these roadblocks, from December 15 to January 15.
As for overloaded buses, we shall be making passengers disembark and we take them back to where they would have come from.
We also urge motorists to exercise extreme caution when on the road. We will be having increased traffic because of people coming in to visit from other places.
Some will be over-excited and will be overspeeding, going through red traffic lights and ignoring road signs.
</blockquote>
According to the ZRP, any member who engages in corruption will be arrested without fear or favour.
The warning extends not only to civilians but also to transporters, clearing agents, and anyone who initiates acts of corruption with police officers.
However, unregistered and defective kombis as well as pirate taxis (mushikashika) are always on the road playing cat and mouse with the police but in most cases, they pay bribes to be able to continue operating.
During the festive season, more people travel for longer distances and pirate taxis, although illegal, provide alternative transport as bus operators traditionally hike fares around Christmas Day.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Motorists Warned Against Bribing Traffic Cops During Festive Season

A Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) senior officer has warned junior officers that the police force will not tolerate people who avoid their duties if they do not like them. He warned that the ZRP would get rid of undisciplined officers who joined the force out of desperation. This follows the drastic reduction of roadblocks following the ascendancy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Under former president Robert Mugabe and former police boss Augustine Chihuri, the ZRP was accused of mounting numerous roadblocks along the country’s roads in order to extort motorists.
Speaking at the launch of the “Police Visibility Patrols”, the officer commanding Marondera district, Superintendent Khama said,
<blockquote>You cannot do selective duties. One cannot choose which work to do or not to do. We should not even shy from our work.
…Police officers are remaining in the comfort of their offices, busying themselves on WhatsApp platforms.Those who made the mistake of taking the police oath should submit their resignation papers. That would help the nation. The ZRP should not be home for desperate job seekers. Only those committed to duty should remain as police officers.</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.newzimbabwe.com/after-roadblocks-ban-miffed-cops-refuse-to-go-on-street-patrols-spend-time-in-offices-on-whatsapp/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">New Zimbabwe</a>

You Cannot Select Which Duties You Want: ZRP Officers Warned

Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo revealed that some Zanu-PF members were using party membership cards to evade paying tollgates in Chitungwiza.
Chombo, who is also Zanu-PF secretary for administration, was speaking during a Zanu-PF Midlands provincial commissariat workshop on voter education and registration campaign. Said Chombo:
<blockquote>All members of the party should have the new electronic membership cards by the end of the month ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections. We have introduced new membership cards. We are urging all members in this province to acquire such by end of this month. However, do not abuse the cards, some of the party members use them to intimidate the police. There was a report that some members of the party from Chitungwiza were using membership cards to evade paying at tollgates.</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.sundaymail.co.zw/issue-ids-for-free-chombo/">Sunday Mail</a>

Zanu-PF members using party cards to evade paying tollgate

Speaking to Sunday Mail, Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo revealed that roadblocks will soon be under 24-hour satellite surveillance. He said that the roadblocks will be monitored using satellites similar to Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s Electronic Transit Cargo Tracking System.
Said Chombo:
<blockquote>More importantly, our roadblocks will be monitored via satellite just like the ones used by Zimra and transport companies to track their vehicles. (Officers) who engage in suspicious activities will be monitored live and will certainly be arrested because we will have in our possession pictures of their activities at the roadblocks.</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.sundaymail.co.zw/major-changes-to-police-roadblocks/">Sunday Mail</a>

Roadblocks to be under 24-hour satellite surveillance

Speaking in an interview, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa justified the many police roadblocks in the country saying that they save lives among other reasons.
Said Mnangagwa:
<blockquote>I believe the intention of these roadblocks is to save lives, to make sure the motor vehicles on the highway are fit to be on the road. And also there are many things that are done at roadblocks, criminal, smugglers, there must be some way to deal with those things.</blockquote>
He also said the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry had been asked to engage the Home Affairs Ministry to find how they could be rationalised and avoid unnecessary prevalence of such police road blocks.
More: <a href="http://www.herald.co.zw/mnangagwa-speaks-on-party-squabbles-%e2%80%a2-its-a-reflection-of-internal-democracy-%e2%80%a2-differences-to-make-party-stronger/">Herald</a>

Mnangagwa justifies ZRP's many roadblocks

A naked man caused a stir in <a href="http://www.pindula.co.zw/Beitbridge">Beitbridge</a> on Tuesday and even forced <a href="http://www.pindula.co.zw/Zimbabwe_Republic_Police">police</a> to abandon a roadblock when he danced unclothed in front of them. The man said to be a Malawian national, marched in his birthday suit from Dulivhadzimo bus terminus to the border post with scores of youths following him.
He walked past police manning a roadblock near the border post and they looked aside as if nothing was happening. For a while he walked towards the border post before making a U-turn to heard straight for the police officers. Police immediately deserted their post as the man took over with a swelling crowd around him.
 
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2016/11/03/cops-desert-roadblock-naked-man-pounces/">NewsDay</a>

Traffic police Latest News

Latest Jobs