Police in Bulawayo have implored motorists to desist from paying bribes to police officers manning roadblocks during the festive season, reported CITE.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
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