Chief Chundu Villagers Miss Christmas Due To Roadblocks

The vehicles impounded were considered not road worthy.
 
The area which situated 80 kilometers north east of Karoi town has no public buses which ply the route despite having one of the best roads in a rural setting.

As a result of that thousands of villagers who reside there depend on open trucks bought by locals with tobacco funds to travel to town for any business.

This was not the same during the Christmas when the police mounted a heavy road block at Nyangau Bridge and impounded more than ten of such trucks and arrested their unlicensed drivers, while leaving travelers stranded.

The police at the heavy road block were ordering car operators to refund their passengers before impounding the vehicles which they took to Karoi police station. 

It now attracts a custodial sentence for one to drive public transport without a valid Zimbabwean drivers’ license.

Travelers on Christmas day after being dropped they had to walk for up to 30 kilometers on foot to as far as Kabidza and Manyenzi.

Some of them ended up seeking accommodation along the road thereby failing to reach their destination on the great day (Christmas day).

“Impounding these vehicles for road worthiness purposes is a good idea, but it’s unfair for us because we have no other source of transport. Yes these drivers must have drivers licenses so that accidents occurrences are reduced but it’s also important that the authorities should bear in mind the fact that these trucks are our mode of transport, “said one such stranded passenger who was met by Radio VOP at Gon’a turn off while walking to Kabidza some 25 kilometers from where the road block was.

Some lucky truck operators said they will resume business after the end of the Christmas holiday.

“I was fortunate to get a phone call from my colleague urging me to make u-turn after his vehicle was impounded. It is sad to note that this is the time we were going to make big cash because of huge volumes of people coming from Karoi but staying home till the end of the holiday will serve my vehicle from being impounded, “said one operator Nelson Chihota.

The last time when the area had a bus plying the route was 10 years ago when the late Zanu-PF Member of Parliament for the area Shumba Yaonda Chandengenda was alive.

Radio VOP could not get a comment from the area’s Member of Parliament Peter Chanetsa of Zanu-PF.