By Correspondent
The kombi sector is one lucrative sector as evidenced by growing numbers of omnibuses in Harare’s CBD.
However, Harare City Council has perennially remained outside the matrix of beneficiaries.
Recently Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume revealed that only 450 kombis pay for rank discs.
Meanwhile Council spokesperson Stanley Gama had an even lower figure, stating that 250 pay.
However, according to Council the total number of operating kombis is 12 000.
This means over 11 500 are not paying anything to Council!
However, kombi operators have queried that humongous figure alleging that many more pay.
Greater Harare Association of Commuter Omnibus Operators official Ngoni Katsvairo has a theory.
“Enforcement is in the ranks everyday looking for those without rank discs and they find none.
“(However), the Full Council is told only 450 kombis pay for rank discs.
“Each of the 5 ranks holds at least 500 kombis when full and that means at least 2500 kombis have rank discs.
According to Katsvairo what it means is that money is vanishing within the circle of enforcement officers.
Kombi operators are paying and yet the money isn’t getting to Council which still has a measly figure of 450 legally operating kombis.
“He (Mafume) further claims that there are over 12 000 kombis in Harare.
“Meaning if 5 ranks hold say 3 000 kombis 9000 kombis have no papers.
“What then is enforcement doing about these 9000 if they don’t have rank discs and operating papers?
“Why is Central Stores not full with these illegal 9000 kombis or if only 450 pay why are 11 550 operating without papers in the face of the aggressive Traffic Enforcement?’
Endemic Corruption
The rhetoric questions paint a picture of corrupt Municipal Police Officers.
Council is being undercut by its own workforce.
They have simply found a way to work around the system getting all the money and keeping many kombis off the books.
In most such scams the kombis are made to pay a lower figure instead of the legal rank disc amount.
Currently, kombis pay US$92 a term.
The term has 4 months, which translates to $276 per year.
Plus each kombi pays $143 for annual permit.
Instead of these amounts, in connivance with enforcement officers, the kombis pay the officer and are allowed to operate without an official disc.
Meanwhile Mayor Mafume and Spokesperson Gama are made to walk around with fake numbers peddling them on national platforms.
Operators privy on the details have a explained how they are kept in the loop for any operations days or hours before.
“The officers either from ZRP or Municipal police call and warn us before most operations.
Thus, on most days kombis working on collusion with officers are never arrested.
Even when accidentally caught, they always get released.
They paid the most important rank disc to the officers!
