Shamelessly daring criminal elements are reportedly on the loose, taking advantage of the relative serenity associated with the mandatory national lockdown by erecting barriers along the country’s highways using stones, to rob from motorists and travellers alike.
According to Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TCSZ) spokesperson Tatenda Chinoda, ‘the illegal roadblocks’ being created by the highway criminals during the Covid-19 lockdown are more pronounced along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road and the Chivhu-Nharira Highway.
Chinoda is of the opinion that the criminals, who erect highway barriers using stones to ambush motorists and subsequently attack when they slow down, will likely give birth to a surge in accidents, resulting in carnages.
“Real police officers do not use stones at roadblocks,” he was quoted as saying in the state media.
“That is not stipulated in the Highway Code, which is the rule book for road users,” Chinoda said.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi has promised to check with police in Masvingo where the highway notoriety has reportedly been rampant during the lockdown.
Zimbabwe is in Day 2 of the extended two-week national lockdown, announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to curb the spread of the Covid-19 scourge.
State Media
Additional Reporting: Zwnews
