Harare’s Central Business District (CBD) is rapidly becoming a hazardous zone for pedestrians as rogue commuter operators, popularly known as kombis and mushikashika, continue to operate with blatant disregard for traffic laws.
The escalating chaos, marked by daily injuries and even loss of life, reflects a serious failure in law enforcement and legislative oversight.
Illegal ranks have sprung up across the city center, with operators picking up passengers in the middle of streets, ignoring basic traffic rules. The situation worsens when these vehicles attempt to evade law enforcement, recklessly speeding through crowded areas and leaving trails of danger in their wake. For residents and visitors, navigating Harare’s streets has become a perilous task, with lives constantly at risk.
One city council official highlighted the enormous challenges in enforcing regulations against these defiant operators. Their lawlessness appears to have outpaced the capacity of the authorities, leaving pedestrians vulnerable. The scenario recalls a safer time when kombis were barred from entering the CBD. That intervention significantly reduced pedestrian risks and alleviated traffic congestion. However, the transport shortage that followed exposed another issue: ZUPCO’s inability to adequately meet public commuting needs.
The decision to reintroduce kombis into the CBD without comprehensive regulatory measures and strict enforcement mechanisms has proven costly. To curb the chaos, it is imperative that authorities craft and implement laws that decisively regulate commuter vehicle operations. Heavy penalties for violations must be enforced to deter reckless behavior.
This is a legislative challenge that requires urgent attention. Are the city’s Members of Parliament (MPs) unaware of the daily tragedies caused by these illegal operators? If so, their silence is deafening and unacceptable. Pedestrian safety should be a top priority for lawmakers tasked with safeguarding their constituents’ lives.
Human life is invaluable, and protecting it must transcend bureaucratic inertia. It is time for Harare’s leaders and law enforcement agencies to collaborate and address this menace decisively. Without such action, the city risks becoming a symbol of unchecked lawlessness, with its streets bearing the brunt of preventable tragedies.
The untamed lions of Harare’s CBD must be tamed—not tomorrow, but today. Lives depend on it.
These illegal mushikashikas must just be taken by the authorities and get crashed for scrap metal. If it’s done with seriousness, those Honda fits can easily find their way back to where they belong.
Give all operators licenses allow them to do the right thing stop with stiffer requirements accommodate everyone .Johannesburg is bigger than Harare but taxis are allowed in the city .Stop with the zupco stupid thing let individuals run their business impose fines to perpetrators after u have asked them to acquire permits 8
Come at seke (chitungwiza)road just after the fly over and you will see who is responsible for all this mess. You will be able to see the rank marshals and the people who collect money from kombis on behalf of the polce so that they don’t get arrested. Don’t blame kombis only. It’s a syndicate. People are making a lot of money from allowing mushika shika to go on.
Come and check this out one of these days you will be shocked.
The issue of kombiz is as simple as any primary grade pupil can solve. Why have runs with loaded cars. I have been in Malawi past 3years and I can tell you traffic police this side are the law on the road. Maybe Zimbabwe traffic departments need to copy from Malawi. This side police simply give finger signals for driver to stop and they stop. The system is that they follow up all vehicles thru vehicle registry system. And they just take number plate and catch you using registry system. We have VTS system in Zimbabwe which law can effectively use to tame the traffic jungle. If its not fundraising corruption system then I don’t see the reason why we have traffic jungles
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Totally agree with you 💯% Also can we have police patrol cars on roads. There is none at the moment
💯 % true, I think the way things have gone now warrants unorthodox means to bring back sanity. Let the army be roped in and let them beat up these people, no arrests but simply beating them up, in one wk all the chaos will be gone believe you me. They don’t want to abide by the law so let them be treated in an unlawful manner
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It has become a danger indeed.but citizens need to play a part..it takes both parties to eradicate such practices…People should not board at this points…Kombis rank at those spots coz they know people will come…
Yes it is time to bring back law and order in what was a beautiful city and should and could be again.