At least 677 touts and 1 570 mushikashika drivers have been arrested countrywide after police this week launched an operation targeting them, following the violent clashes between touts at the Mutare bus ranks last week.
On Monday, bus operator Esau Mupfumi, who was arrested at the weekend over the violent clashes between touts at the city's bus ranks, was granted US$1 000 bail by Mutare provincial magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe. Mupfumi appeared before Mr Mahwe, who remanded him out of custody to June 18, while 49 rank marshals who were arrested over the same clash, were all denied bail.
In an interview yesterday, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the crackdown against touts and mushikashika.
"We have launched a countrywide operation targeting touts and mushikashika. And as of yesterday (Monday), we have so far arrested 677 touts countrywide and 1 570 mushikashika.
"The operation is continuing until there is sanity," he said.
He said some of the touts arrested would be fined while repeat offenders would be sent to court.
Police have warned that some criminals were reportedly masquerading as police officers, demanding cash from transport operators, alleging that they will not be arrested following the recent violent clashes which occurred in Mutare last week.
According to police the criminals are phoning some of the bus operators that ply the Harare-Mutare route alleging that they were also being implicated in the case and should pay them a 'security fee' so that they will not be arrested.
Comm Nyathi confirmed that they had received reports from transport operators about these criminals.
"We have received reports about some people who are claiming to be police officers and are approaching transport operators claiming various amounts of money so that they will not be arrested over the public violence case which occurred in Mutare," he said.
In one of the cases,he said the criminals demanded about US$300 cash from a Harare based operator (name withheld), who had since made a report to the police. Comm Nyathi warned these criminals that they would be arrested and face the full wrath of the law and urged operators to report such cases to the police.
Over the weekend, police arrested Mupfumi and the 49 rank marshals following the violent clashes.
According to the State's case, Mupfumi's senior rank marshal, Farai Chitsa, was allegedly attacked by rank marshals from other bus companies on May 20, and the bus operator allegedly asked them to retaliate.
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On May 23, a group of Mupfumi's rank marshals allegedly drove to Harare Old Rank in Mutare in two commuter omnibuses and attacked marshals from other companies with machetes, sjamboks, sticks and knives.
One of the commuter omnibuses, a Toyota Hiace, registration number AFB2518, was being driven by Michael Chinogara.
The other commuter omnibus, a Toyota Quantum belonging to Mupfumi, was being driven by his worker, only known as Ndemera.
The Mupfumi Buses rank marshals disembarked and attacked marshals belonging to other bus companies. Police officers fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, and seven marshals were arrested. Machetes and stones were recovered from the commuter omnibus.
The next day, Mupfumi's marshals clashed with marshals from other companies at Murahwa People's Green Market in Sakubva, and when police officers arrived, they allegedly fled to the company's garage. A total of 11 marshals were arrested at Mupfumi's garage.
