via Editorial Comment: Together we can tame the traffic jungle | The Herald 13 November 2014
OUR roads have been turned into jungles characterised by lawlessness and in the process many innocent travellers and other road users have either been maimed or killed.
The roads have been turned into battle grounds pitting baton or spikes wielding traffic policemen and kombi crews in some cases.
So nasty have the battles become to the extent that some kombi drivers become livid when they see policemen on duty to the extent that they wish them dead.
We have noticed with disbelief some incidents where police officers have died while being dragged by minibuses or where they survive by hanging dangerously onto vehicle bonnets or bumpers.
The kombi crews’ disregard of the sanctity of life has reached alarming levels, while traffic cops do not stop at anything in their endeavour to deal with such road users.
This, to use is a manifestation of a traffic law enforcement system that has failed, thereby calling for a total overhaul of the entire system.
So heavy handed have the police force become in executing their duties and the recent Marondera case where three traffic cops fatally attacked a kombi driver following a misunderstanding over US$10 bribe should be condemned with the strongest terms it deserves. Reports says the three cops, two males and a female, fatally assaulted Mugove Manonge (30) after arresting him at a roadblock at Bemba Farm and refused to give them a US$10 bribe.
This Marondera incident is testimony that there is something very wrong in our policing of the highways. The police should be reminded that their role is to arrest the law breakers and hand them over to the judiciary where they are tried and if found guilty, send to jail or fined.
However, our law enforcers are now arresting and convicting motorists on the roads. This has seen some gory scenarios where people end up dying violent deaths as they are either crushed by kombis fleeing the marauding cops or crashed onto buildings and trees.
The cost of such accidents and deaths is so huge to the families and the country and it’s now time both the police and the road users play ball by being socially responsible.
We implore this country’s citizens to be law abiding, respect police orders and at the same time police officers should not behave as school boy bullies while on duty.
Police should be lauded for introducing human rights as a subject in their training curriculum, but it is our hope that they put them to practice at work to avoid losing millions as people take the force to court for unlawful arrest and unfair treatment.
We demand that our force be polite to motorists. At road blocks, we expect a police officer to stop and great drivers, introduce the purpose of the road block to them and if there are any offenses, they should humanely advise the driver that they are under arrest.
If the offense is a grave one, the motorist should be told why he/she might be unable to proceed with their journey.
As for minor offenses, we expect the force to caution the motorists and advise them to proceed with caution.
We noted with regret that in some cases, officers provoke motorists by treating them as minors, forcibly removing keys from the ignition or take away driver’s licence and then start waving other motorists to stop.
This, we think is unprofessional and will be meant to stretch the motorist’s patience and then accuse them of violating some sections of the law when they claim their rights.
Surely, we urge our police officers to respect, treat people fairly and diligently execute their duties to avoid unnecessary loss of life.
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