The most dangerous kombi driver
MBABANE - Meet Mzwandile Tsabedze, a kombi driver, whose traffic offence record could easily render him the country’s ‘most dangerous’ public transport driver.
He has an unprecedented 35 traffic offences, all obtained in just four weeks.
His offences range from driving a dirty vehicle, stopping on the roadway, failing to comply with conditions of his work permit and over speeding.
Tsabedze, however, says he is a victim of police orchestrated harassment on kombi drivers who service the Manzini-Mbabane route.
As a result of such harassment, he feels he can no longer effectively execute his duties.
"The police seem to have a personal vendetta against kombi drivers in general and we cannot take this situation lightly anymore. Just today (yesterday), I was charged three times by police and what is worrying is how they chase after public transport vehicles, yet in most cases there are passengers onboard," said Tsabedze.
In justification of the 35 charges, Tsabedze said as kombi drivers within the Mbabane-Manzini corridor, they were forced by the large number of kombis that operate between the two cities to commit certain offences, which include picking customers by the roadside en route to Manzini or Mbabane.
"If I were to pick up all my passengers from the bus rank, I would only make E300 per day and be fired from work. Therefore, in order to make more money, I pick up some of my customers along the freeway to make extra money and satisfy my employer," added Tsabedze.
According to the vehicle’s work permit, Tsabedze was expected to operate as an express vehicle, meaning he must only pick up passengers from the bus rank.
Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Wendy Hleta, said police officers were professionals and would not charge a kombi driver for committing an offence without tangible evidence.
"In cases where motorists find themselves charged for the same offence many times, normally the driver is defiant. Some drivers continuously and intentionally commit the same offences and police charge them accordingly," said Hleta.
Police have had a series of run-ins with public transport operators in recent times that led to strike actions to force police to release their colleagues from custody.
Recently, 16 people died along the MR5 (Tshaneni-Madlangemphisi) public road after the kombi driver failed to heed police instruction to stop the vehicle.
Kombi Association shocked by charges
MBABANE - The Swaziland Local Kombi Association has expressed shock at the number of charges preferred against the kombi driver in one month.
Chairman of the association’s Manzini Branch, Sibusiso Mthi-mkhulu said he was aware of the difficulties faced by kombi drivers but was not aware of this incident.
"I will definitely be sending my team to investigate the matter, because, there surely has to be an anomaly either on the driver’s part or the police officers," Mthimkhulu said. He said the association recently conducted workshops across the country to sensitise public transport drivers on the importance of safe driving.
"I would not say we have a bad working relationship with the police, though we have had differences in the past.
"Our work relationship has been quite good in recent days, after the workshops," he said.
COMMENTS:
- Wendy is doing a very poor job in building the public image of the the police force! I wounder if she knows the job of a PRO? She seem to be defending the police every time, that is not the job of a PRO! You cannot say that "all police officers are professional" Who are you fooling? all!!! We know better Wendy. She suppose to easily say " we expect all our officers to be professional at all times! in a case an individual is aggrieved in the processes, he/she can report the matter to the following structures...... as simple as that! The public will know that they are protected against unprofessional police officers and the police officers are not above the law! you can not just rubbish an accusation just because its against the force. Sometimes those accusation are true regardless of who is making them!!
September 13, 2012, 15:36 pm, Thulani
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