By Lloyd Takawira
Soldiers and police officers deployed to enforce lockdown regulations as well as the dawn to dusk curfew are abusing people, Passenger Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) has said.
Passenger Association of Zimbabwe in a statement said there is rampant abuse by state security officers in communites especially as passengers bear the brunt of incessant transport woes.
‘We have been inundated with complaints by passengers, who have experienced abuse in the hands of soldiers and police. In Mabvuku, for instance people who were coming from work were beaten, whilst coming from work on the 30th and 31st of July there was daylight victimisation and assault of people at bus ranks in Harare CBD and other cities.
At the same time, there are many private vehicle owners’ who seek to assist stranded commuters who end up suffering and adjudged to be on the wrong side of the law, mostly by malfeasent law officers seeking after corrupt gains,” PAZ said .
PAZ cried foul over the failure by ZUPCO to provide adequate buses which results in passengers failing to meet the lockdown curfew.
“Due to the fact that there is massive transport challenges and ZUPCO lacks the capacity, they had arrived after the curfew time and they were collectively affected together with vendors”. PAZ said
The association also urged ZUPCO to provide more buses as well as ensuring that they are fumigated to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
PAZ said,”Passengers are struggling to get home on time. ZUPCO must consistently provide buses and they must regularly fumigate their buses, check temperatures and sanitise.”
