Karoi residents last week lodged a complaint with the local authority over the use of metal spikes by municipal police to stop errant motorists.
This comes after Edith Mugangaza (29), of Jingison Farm, was injured on Wednesday in an accident when municipal police threw metal spikes towards a fleeing vehicle she was travelling in.
Mugangaza was ferried to Karoi District Hospital for treatment and was said to be in a serious condition.
The petition to Karoi Municipality by Zimbabwe National Organization of Associations and Residents Trust (ZNOART) read in part:
ZNOART reiterates that traffic police must use safer modern policing tools and approaches in order to make roads safer for all pedestrians, motorists, shoppers, schoolchildren, tourists and Karoi residents at large.
Similarly, motorists must operate within the by-laws of each town, municipality or city because it takes two to tango.
The council confirmed the accident and said it was carrying out investigations to establish what really transpired. It said in a statement:
Council is giving the matter the most serious attention it deserves and a thorough investigation is underway to establish the details of the incident.
Council would like to assure its valued stakeholders, motorists and residents that it values the sanctity of life and the smooth motoring in and around the town.
Last year, High Court judge Justice Owen Tagu dismissed an application by the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ), together with private taxi “Mushikashika” driver Bernard Murizani seeking a ban on the use of spikes and tear gas by the police.
Justice Tagu said that banning the use of spikes by traffic police to stop vehicles refusing to obey orders to stop would be as good as legalising crime and disempowering police from maintaining law and order.
At Mhandamabwe in Masvingo the touts are using spikes pretending to be travellers looking for lifts and then pound on motorists. ZANU PF must stop their youth at Mandamabwe