The Positive News crew was alarmed today by the brazen acts of theft taking place at the bus terminal located along Robert Mugabe Way and Fifth Street Road Port. In a shocking display, touts were observed stealing from travelers’ bags, handbags, and pockets under the guise of persuading them to board buses they are affiliated with. These buses typically service routes to Mutare, Marondera, and other destinations.
It is disheartening to witness how these touts operate. They encircle unsuspecting travelers, engaging them in conversation to distract them while others in the group surreptitiously open satchel bags, search pockets, and pickpocket valuable items such as cell phones and wallets.
This has become a daily occurrence, with these touts frequenting the area. Bus crews, who rely on these touts to load passengers onto their vehicles, appear indifferent to the plight of the travelers being robbed. In fact, they often support the touts, showing little concern for the passengers’ safety and well-being.
As a developmental news outlet, we strongly urge travelers to use designated bus ranks, despite the presence of thieves there as well. The difference is that the thieves at official ranks are less aggressive compared to the gang operating along Robert Mugabe Way and Fifth Street, who have been known to provoke male travelers into confrontations to create a diversion, allowing them to steal more easily.
We also appeal to law enforcement agencies to intervene and clear out the illegal bus rank serving Marondera and Mutare. This is essential to safeguarding innocent travelers who are simply trying to reach their destinations safely.
For the safety of the public, we urge everyone to avoid the illegal Mutare rank and instead use the Simon Muzenda Fourth Street Bus Terminus, where the environment is more secure.
