Zimbabwe Orders All Private Commuter Omnibuses to Register Under State Transport Entity As Operators Cry Foul
May 03, 2021
Gibbs Dube
Grounded . Some of the long distance kombis stuck in Zimbabwe s second largest city, Bulawayo. (Courtesy Image)
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The Zimbabwean government has ordered private companies and schools to hire vehicles registered under the state-controlled Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco), amid concerns that some operators are losing millions of dollars in potential revenues.
Local Government Minister, July Moyo, told the Sunday Mail that no vehicle would be allowed to operate in the country unless it is under the parastatal, which is allegedly making huge loses.
By Ndatenda Njanike
UPCOMING musician Spiwe Zimbeva from the farming town of Chinhoyi said she has found it a struggle to navigate her career in light of the deadly Covid-19 that hit Zimbabwe early last year.
Spiwe, a 25-year-old artist was narrating her experiences as a budding gospel musician to NewZimbabwe.com this week.
“The pandemic has limited the careers of most musicians from many things including failing to secure resources to perform or record songs,” she said.
“Due to the pandemic musical content has not been sold as expected and live performances have been restricted hence giving most artists a hard time during the Covid-19 period.”
Man Tricks Brother Three Buses, Contracts Them To ZUPCO newzimbabwe.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newzimbabwe.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Car import restrictions hailed
Herald Reporter
THE Government’s decision to restrict the importation of vehicles more than 10 years old has the potential to see the accrual of huge economic benefits, players in the motor industry have said.
The Government, last week gazetted regulations that gave legal effect to the Government’s decision to restrict vehicles older than 10 years as a means to revive the once vibrant local car industry.
Such a ban on used cars is not unique to Zimbabwe as several other jurisdictions restrict such imports.
In South Africa for example, one can only import a second-hand vehicle after getting a permit and this is meant to protect the local motor vehicle manufacturing industry.
By Paidashe Mandivengerei
PRIVATE commuter omnibus owners operating under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) claim they were being pressured by the franchise holder to remit ‘unreasonable’ daily targets, something that has caused their crews to break the law.
The daily target for each commuter omnibus is RTGS$15 000.
While the operator gets RTGS$4 000 which is barely enough to cater for vehicle maintenance, the balance is pocketed by the public transporter.
Addressing journalists in Harare Tuesday, Greater Harare Association of Commuter Omnibus Operators (GHACO) secretary general, Ngoni Katsvairo said in the mad rush to beat the ludicrous daily targets, kombi drivers end up defying many road traffic laws.