A man was shot dead by a police officer while trying to avoid a tollgate in Harare.

The incident, at around 8PM on Monday night, took place at the Skyline tollgate just after the Mbudzi roundabout on the Harare-Masvingo road.

A police source told ZimLive: “A truck driver was trying to avoid the tollgate by using a dirt road and he was intercepted by a police officer.

“The officer demanded a $2 bribe, which is half the price of the tollgate, but a disagreement ensued. The police officer cocked his AK47 and shot the man at close range and in cold blood.”

The small truck was carrying firewood going to Southlea Park, a new settlement some 15km south of Harare.

“Police are deployed to stop vehicles evading the tollgate via the bhinya road (gravel detour), but they instead charge half price to allow passage,” a commuter omnibus who has used the road before told ZimLive.

zimlive