Police probe harassment of passengers by touts This picture collage shows touts harassing a traveller at Beitbridge Bus Terminus recently

Victor Maphosa

Herald Reporter
Police have instituted investigations into the matter in which touts were seen in a video circulating on social media manhandling and harassing an elderly female traveller at a bus terminus in Beitbridge.

In the video clip, the elderly woman can be seen and heard screaming while being harassed at Beitbridge bus terminus, including being violently dragged by at least nine touts who also forcibly took her luggage.

There has been a public outcry and deafening calls for police to expeditiously bring the touts to book and be visible all the time at bus ranks where touts are becoming a menace to the commuting public.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe said after viewing the video clip on social media, he was troubled to see how the public was treated when boarding buses.

Addressing Senate on Thursday, Minister Kazembe said there would be sanity in all public spaces in no time.

“I was concerned because of what I saw in that video, even the police is concerned, that what is happening is true, that our people are treated like that when boarding buses,” he said.

“When I saw that video, I immediately forwarded it to the Commissioner General of Police and he is equally concerned. I want to promise you that this issue is already under investigations. We will deploy police details to see that there is sanity in all public spaces. The Commissioner-General is working on that and sanity will prevail soon.”

Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Organisation chairman Mr Sam Nhanhanga condemned the behaviour displayed by the touts, who like to be thought of as self-appointed rank marshals, that harassed the woman at Beitbridge terminus.

“This is very disturbing and as the association we condemn this in the strongest terms,” he  said.

“We have engaged the Government and Zimbabwe Republic Police to help us in the fight against menacing touts.

“We had a meeting yesterday with the Minister of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona where we made it clear that we needed the help of the government to stop that harassment of travellers by touts.

“As an association, we are engaging police as we embark on awareness campaigns with matters relating to abuse of passengers at all designated bus stations countrywide.

“The association would want to emphasis that the violence against women is a major violation of human rights.”

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