Police have been urged to contain the growing menace of touts. The touts are reportedly terrorizing people, especially women who will be boarding buses at Mbudzi terminus. The touts are accused of abusing ladies verbally and physically.
Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) director Jestina Mukoko spoke to Newsday saying:
If women are abused in public places then if the culprits are caught they need to be punished.
The same applies to these touts at Mbudzi that they need to account for their actions. Unless people account for their actions they will continue doing these things. I urge people to identify who is doing these things and identify the buses associated with such and then be able to talk to the owners and tell them that behaviour is unacceptable.
Zimbabwe Women in Politics Alliance (Zwipa) boss Linda Masarira also said:
As Zwipa we are calling the ZRP to launch an investigation into this matter. Touts are illegal in Zimbabwe why are they still operating? We will petition the Ministry of Home affairs about these issues.
ZRP has to scale up its response and protection mechanisms for women who are most vulnerable in our society. Instead what we see is the reverse and at a time police are also perpetrating some forms of violence against women instead of protecting them and the general citizens.
More: Newsday