ZANU militia descends on Bulawayo

Commuter staff who spoke to The Zimbabwean at the busiest Basch Street terminus, popularly known as Egodini, on Tuesday complained that they are now operating under fear and constant harassment from the youths, all of who are wearing ZANU (PF) T’shirts dished out during campaign for the Presidential run-off election, which later became a one-man contest pitting Mugabe against himself, after favourite, Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Cemocratic Chnage (MDC) withdrew citing a number of factors, ZANU (PF) violence being one of them.

“We have not been able to operate freely since Sunday evening as these youths accuse all those whose vehicles do not have Mugabe’s potrait of being MDC supporters. They say that this country has returned to ZANU (PF) rule and only vehicles whose owners accept will be allowed to load passengers here,” said one bus conductor at the terminus.

During his campaign, Mugabe, through the government-run National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (NOCZIM), sold cheap fuel to minibus owners in the city, who were in turn required to display four of his potraits, at both sides, the front and the rear.

The buses were also ordered to charge each passenger Z$500 million for a single trip and also to allow ZANU (PF) members to campaign during trips.

Commuter omnibus, who buy five litres of fuel at above Z$200 billion, instead of the NOCZIM’s Z$6 billion for the same amount of fuel, are charging Z$10 billion for a single urban trip.

These also do not have Mugabe’s potrait and are subject of harassment by the youths.

 “You will not carry passengers here until you display the President’s picture. You will all go to Britain,” declared one member of the militia, derisively referred to as Green Bombers, as he blocked a commuter omnibus.

Some commuter crews said that they had resorted to bribing the militia to be allowed to load passengers, as police had turned a blind eye to the development.

“We are now paying them an average of Z$5 billion a trip because they have taken over the termini. They are everywhere and they seem to be above the law,” said a spokesman for the Bulawayo Urban Transporters Association (BUPTA).

Police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, professed ignorance of the harassment.

“I have not heard about that and I have no comment,” he said briefly.