As Robert
Mugabe’s regime tottered and fell, one immediate benefit that Zimbabweans
celebrated with glee was the sudden absence of bribe-extracting police who were
a
symbol of life under his rule.
Endless
police roadblocks were a notorious feature of every journey in Zimbabwe, with
drivers reluctantly paying frequent bribes to evade long questioning over minor
alleged offences.
But across
Harare and along major national routes, barely a single police officer has been
spotted since the military took over on November 14 and forced Mugabe to step
down after 37 years in power.
During the
turmoil, the absence of police — and the presence of the occasional armoured
military vehicle on the streets — shed light on the dramatic political struggle
that was fought behind closed doors.
Police
Commissioner Augustine Chihuri remained a key supporter of Mugabe and his wife
Grace until the end — while army chief General Constantino Chiwenga led the
military effort to unseat the president.
For ordinary
Zimbabweans, the future under incoming president Emmerson Mnangagwa may be
uncertain, but the disappearance of corrupt traffic officers has been a daily
cause to relish Mugabe’s exit.
“I was
paying bribes two or three times a week,” Norman Manzini, 35, a self-employed
brokerage dealer who drives a 2004 Nissan March hatchback, told AFP.
“It is
amazing, now my route is clear every day.
“Even when
everything about your car was perfect, they could pull you over about some
silly thing and claim there was a fine to pay. To get away, you had to pay $5
(4.20 euros) or even $10.”
‘All about
cash’
Manzini
dismissed fears that crime might rise with the police apparently confined to
their stations.
“The army
are not dangerous or corrupt,” he said. “They let people go about their daily
lives.”
For everyday
transport, many Zimbabweans rely on privately-run “kombi” mini-bus taxis —
favoured targets for bribe-hungry police.
“There used
to be so many police roadblocks, with the driver having to pay $1 or $2,” said
kombi passenger Spiwe Azvigumi, 31, an unemployed mother of three.
“It was
never about speeding or whatever, it was about them collecting cash. It was
impossible to escape. Some kombi owners even arranged to pay their fines in
advance.
“With the
police off the roads, crime is actually down — they were so corrupt and now we
are living free.”
Faster
commute
Encounters
with the police were often polite but lengthy, and anyone who tried to swerve
around a checkpoint faced having their tyres deflated by spikes thrown across
the road.
In recent
days, traffic flow at key junctions in Harare where officers normally lurked
has been smooth.
Many
Zimbabweans say the police were under pressure from their seniors to bring in
bribe money — and were set monthly targets.
Zimbabwe’s
political crisis has so far been peaceful ahead of Mnangagwa’s inauguration on
Friday.
Whether the
police will soon return to streets under his new adminstration is unclear.
The
political upheaval could also worsen the dire economy that has left Zimbabwe
often unable to pay army and police salaries on time.
For
Paddington Chichiri, 24, the historic developments for his country have also
meant a much easier 18-kilometre (11 mile) commute by kombi bus from the suburb
of Glen View.
“Even if you
weren’t always pulled over, it used to take over 40 minutes to get through six
or seven roadblocks,” he said.
“The police
have just disappeared and now it takes less the 20 minutes.
“We don’t
mind the army for now. They’re ok.”
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