- Eight cars taken within two months
- Operators decry poor police response
- Perpetrators are mostly Zimbabweans
- Honda Fit the model most targeted
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
Taxi operators in Francistown downed tools last Friday to protest against police inaction in the face of a rising crime phenomenon of car hijackings in which cabbies are the main targets.
Eight cars have been lost to the criminals in two months during which no arrests have been made.
According to the Chairman of Francistown Taxi Association (FTA), Witness Monyamane, the hijackers seem to focus on Honda Fit cars that are a favourite of taxi operators.
Mainly Zimbabweans
He added that the perpetrators are mainly Zimbabweans.
A common modus operandi entails the perpetrators booking a special taxi ride to an isolated destination where they hold the driver at gunpoint or knifepoint.
In other instances, according to Monyamane, the perpetrators book the taxi ride and on the way ask the driver to pick up someone.
“We have lost eight cars in two months in these hijackings that are either at knifepoint or gunpoint,” he said. “We report the cases but the culprits are yet to be found.
“What is more frustrating is that the police were not giving us any feedback, hence we protested. We downed tools because the police are not giving these cases serious attention.
Fear
“We now work in fear. And this is affecting our business because some of us are no longer keen on special taxi rides.”
Even so, there may be hope because FTA chairman thinks they caught the attention of law enforcement agencies with the protest. “Following our protest, we had a meeting with the police and Directorate of Intelligence and Security Service,” he said.
“The police acknowledged our concerns and promised to become more attentive. They actually advised us to raise the alarm whenever our passengers look suspicious.”
At the time of going to press, Senior Superintendent Officer Commanding No. 15 District-Francistown, Kabo Badirwang, was yet to respond to texted questions from The Botswana Gazette that he had requested.