SOME rowdy pirate kombi crews operating in Bulawayo are reportedly plotting to attack traffic police officers at their homes in retaliation for skirmishes that occurred in the city centre last Wednesday.
Police have since warned the criminally inclined
individuals that they will be arrested. The skirmishes saw four police officers
being attacked by suspected kombi crews consisting of touts and drivers, money
changers and vendors.
This was after the cops had arrested a kombi driver who was
driving a vehicle without number plates and had dropped passengers in the
middle of the road along Herbert Chitepo Street between 5th and 6th Avenue in
violation of traffic laws.
The mob attack left the four police officers hospitalised. During
the fracas, two kombis were burnt to shells and pirate crews have blamed the
cops for the fire incidents.
Police said they only fired tear smoke to disperse crowds
but kombi crews have said the fire was caused by the tear smoke.
However, fire experts have said tear smoke is not flammable
hence it is impossible that it might have caused the fires.
Following Wednesday’s incidents, new details have emerged
that illegal kombi crews are conspiring to attack police officers at their
homes.
Chronicle is in possession of audios which were part of
conversations by kombi crews on WhatsApp groups where some of the “thugs” were
threatening to attack cops.
In one of the audios, one of the members is heard saying
that it is not difficult to trail the officers who were at the scene on
Wednesday.
“Let’s look for someone who will tell us where the police
officers who were involved in this incident stay. I know where some of them
stay but we need those who are responsible for burning the cars. They need to
be identified so that we can approach them in their homes. These people go to
the shops, can’t we find someone who can track them down? Let’s trace them, we
will find whoever did this,” said one of the crew members.
“Just in a day, we would have caught them. It’s not like
these people spend all of their time at Drill Hall (police offices). They also
knock off and go to their homes, we need to follow them into their homes. We
should not kill him or her but just deal with them.”
Another one concurred: “You spoke like a man Mdu, we need
to search for these people, raid their homes at night when they are with their
families. We will knock at their doors and inform him or her that we want to
see them and if they do not come out, we will threaten to burn their homes and
them inside. They will tell us why they are doing this.”
Another suspected driver is heard saying that they should
also consider trailing and cornering police officers while on patrol.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi warned the rowdy crews that it is a criminal offence to plot to commit a
crime.
“It means these people are criminal minded or they are
criminals. The moment you see someone agitating for violence, agitating to
attack a certain individual, then that means that person is criminally inclined
and the law has to take its course,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said citizens who have concerns with police conduct
should report to the relevant police department or even their commanders.
“We are still conducting investigations into what happened
last Wednesday. Secondly, anyone who has concerns or any contributions or any
issues they should contact Officer Commanding Bulawayo Province (Commissioner
Patton Mbangwa). I don’t encourage anyone to engage in unlawful acts because
that is tantamount to committing a crime which warrants arrest and an
individual to be taken to court for prosecution,” he said.
“We expect Zimbabweans to be law abiding citizens and if
they have concerns, they should raise those concerns in a manner that does not
cause alarm and despondency in communities.” Chronicle
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