Harare launches blitz on mushika-shika

By Farayi Machamire

Buoyed by the swift removal of vendors from its central business district (CBD), the Harare City Council (HCC) has launched a blitz on small vehicles (mushika-shika) that are picking up passengers at undesignated points in the city.

This comes as Harare mayor Herbert Gomba has warned municipal staff to conduct their duties diligently to curb the mushika-shika menace, saying council will not hesitate to punish rogue staff colluding with illegal pirate taxis operators.

“We are geared to cleaning up the city once and for all,” Gomba told the Daily News.

“At times we have seen that the police and our staff are not doing enough to reign in illegal pirate taxis. We sometimes see municipal police parked opposite illegal pirate taxis with no action being taken. This will no longer be tolerated.”

HCC spokesperson Michael Chideme said the blitz on illegal pirate taxis would be a sustained effort similar to the operation carried out on vendors.

“We are starting the programme this weekend of removing all pirate taxis, unregistered kombis and impounding public vehicles that pick and drop passengers at undesignated sites,” Chideme said.  DailyNews