Harare — A Harare man has been charged with disorderly behaviour after he brandished a pistol at a commuter omnibus conductor who did not have his change in foreign currency.

Kelvin Turuka (23), who was travelling from Mabelreign to the city centre on July 8, had a row with the conductor who offered him Z$3 trillion in lieu of 5 rand (50 US cents).

This did not go down well with Turuka, who had tendered a US$5 note.

When the conductor insisted on giving him US$4 and Z$3 trillion, Turuka -- a Central Intelligence Organisation operative -- lost his temper and asked the driver to stop, Harare magistrate Ms Olivia Mariga heard.

Prosecutor Ms Ropafadzai Majaja alleges that Turuka alighted at Montagu Shopping Centre in the Avenues, where he continued to demand his US50 cents.

It was at this point that he pulled out a pistol and charged at the conductor, who had to seek refuge in the commuter omnibus.

However, a plainclothes police sergeant who was also a passenger on the kombi, managed to calm Turuka down and enticed him back into the vehicle so that the matter could be solved amicably.

When they reached the city centre, the policeman identified himself and took Turuka into custody at Harare Central Police Station.

Due to the shortage of foreign currency coinage, public transporters have resorted to using the local currency in the form of the Z$$50billion note.

Z$3 trillion is equivalent to US 50 cents, which was the prevailing exchange rate at the time multiple currencies were introduced.

Turuka was remanded out of custody on US$100 bail to today.