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Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter

A stepped up joint operation headed by the police against unlicensed, uninsured, unregistered motor vehicles, mushikashika and illegal kombis has seen 81 motorists arrested since Monday.

Kombis operating with Zupco stickers after withdrawal from the franchise are also being targeted.

Police are partnering the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Zinara, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Harare City Council Traffic Police and Vehicle Inspection Department.

The move comes after police have noted that once again after the last clear out there are vehicles on the road that are not registered or the vehicle owners deliberately remove number plates to avoid identification after committing serious crimes.

These unregistered vehicles are being used to commit serious crimes such as armed robbery, theft from motor vehicle and smash and grab and several appear to have been involved in hit and run accidents.

While evading police they frequently go the wrong way down one-way streets or jump read lights, and with police in pursuit may cause accidents with the pursuing officers then blamed by the public.

It had also become difficult for law enforcement agencies to identify owners of these unregistered vehicles after committing such crimes as there is no handle to check the Central Vehicle Registry database.

Some owners of new vehicles are not changing ownership from the database to reflect the new vehicle owner, while some public service vehicles are unroadworthy and do not have legal documents such as passenger insurance, route authority and certificate of fitness.

Touts and those who wash and repair cars in the streets at undesignated places are also coming under the spotlight.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the operation starting in Harare Metropolitan was being extended provinces.

He said the 81 arrests included Ellen Sikhala for alleged reckless driving which included driving against one way and they would appear in court on September 21.

“After some reports, we would want to put in on record that Ellen Sikhala was arrested along Seke Road today at around 8am while driving against one way and she is being charged for reckless driving.”

The 81 so far arrested have been released after processing and will be summoned to court for trial.

He warned motorists against violating traffic rules and regulations that they will be arrested and face the full force of the law.

Asst Comm Nyathi warned those driving unregistered cars and mushikashika operators that police have been heavily deployed to ensure that there is order on the roads and to thwart any criminal activities.

He said drivers of private vehicles who had also developed a habit of ferrying passengers when they were not authorised to do so will also be arrested.

Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Innocent Ruwende said the city was working hand-in-hand with the police to ensure that there is order in the city.

“By working with the police, we want to make sure that we want to get rid of all those causing chaos and lawlessness in and around the city to make sure that there is law and order. Some of them had gone to the extent of endangering the lives of other road users through reckless driving, among others nefarious activities,” he said.

He said adequate human power had been deployed to make sure that the operation was a success.

In an interview, the secretary-general of Greater Harare Commuter Omnibus Association, Mr Ngoni Katsvairo said he welcomed the move by the police and urged motorists and transport operators to ensure that they have all the required documents before putting their cars on roads as they risk being arrested.

“Even us as registered associations, we operate within the framework of a code of conduct and there is also need for self-discipline as operators. We will however also work hand in hand with law enforcement agents to ensure that we assist them in fishing out any of our errant members that are breaking the law,” he said.

He said those operators who were registered in associations should ensure they had the required documents such as passenger insurance, route authority and certificate of fitness, among other required documents.

Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors (ZUDAC) president, Mr Fradreck Maguramhinga, also warned some of their members against operating against the law.

“As an association registered with the Government, we are in full support of the operation being conducted by the police to ensure that there is law and order in the country by ensuring that all operators and even motorists have the required documents to be on the roads.

“At the same time we also want to urge registered operators to ensure that they also employ people with the required documents. Yes, we understand that during Covid-19 period, most of the public service vehicles had their documents expired while they were parked but this should not be an excuse to operate illegally on the roads,” he said.

Mr Maguramhinga said criminals were also taking advantage of the current situation to commit crimes such as robberies, murder and raping women after offering them lifts using unregistered cars.

During the operation, police will however impound all vehicles violating traffic by- laws and involved in committing robberies and other related cases.

Awareness campaigns discouraging the public from boarding unregistered, and mushikashika vehicles will also be conducted during this period.

All vehicles suspected to have been stolen, smuggled or used in committing crimes will also be impounded while mushikashika vehicles and unroadworthy vehicles will be taken to the city council yards where they would be subjected to a clearance process involving stake-holders such as Vehicle Theft Squad, CVR, Zinara, Zimra Harare City Council Traffic Police and the Vehicle Inspection Department.

Commuters who hitch-hike at undesignated pick-up points risk being arrested.

Meanwhile, foreigners have been warned against speeding off from road traffic accidents.

This comes after police on Sunday arrested a 36-year-old foreign national in connection with a hit-and-run road traffic accident which occurred at the 29km peg along Harare-Bulawayo Road at around 3pm.

Asst Comm Nyathi said the foreign national did not stop after hitting a pedestrian with a Toyota Twin Cab and as a result of the accident the victim sustained head injuries and bruises on both hands.

The suspect was later arrested at a roadblock along the Harare-Bulawayo Road at the 74km peg.