|
3 feared dead as touts resist eviction
2006-03-10 14:59:59
By Judica Tarimo and Ludger Kasumuni
Three people were feared dead and scores of others critically injured in running battles between daladala (bus) touts and JKT members at various bus terminuses in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
Unconfirmed reports estimated that at least 23 people were injured in the mayhem.
The fracas, which broke out in the morning, caught many commuters unawares after touts resisted the move to eject them from bus stops and termini where they have been accused of breaching public order and abetting crime.
Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Alfred Tibaigana confirmed that scores of people had been injured and property destroyed. He, however, declined to quantify the damage or confirm the deaths.
’’I am not ready to say anything on the extent of the damage. We are still assessing the losses,’’ Tibaigana told a news conference in the afternoon.
Tibaigana directed the JKT personnel to push touts out of bus termini and reorganise public transport in the city. He distanced police from the implementation of the new transport system saying the police had no role in it.
’’I don’t know anything about it because the contract involves a private security company and the City Council,’’ Tibaigana said.
S-Group Security Company Ltd has hired over 1,300 JKT personnel to man bus stops following complaints by commuters that the touts were a major security threat to passengers and their property.
Dozens of people, including a Form VI student of Kibasila Secondary School, were severely beaten by the S-Group Security guards who have been deployed at all bus stops.
The student, identified as Bakari Amiri was caught in the early morning mayhem at Mwenge bus stop, hit on the head bled profusely as the angry guards pursued the touts.
Other people who also fell victim of the fracas were Baraka Hassan, a technician at a garage in Mwenge and another identified only as Masakuu. The latter was rushed to Mwananyamala Hospital after sustaining severe chest injuries.
Amir said of the incident: ’’I was just passing by Mwenge bus stop on my way to Mapambano building where I go for tuition. I was caught in the melee and hit on the head.’’
He was treated and discharged at Mwenge Dispensary.
At Kariakoo, which is the busiest of all bus termini in Dar es Salaam, the situation was even more chaotic, forcing businesspeople to close down their shops fearing that their property would be looted.
Reached for comment, the executive director of S-Group Security Ltd, Glorius Luoga said 19 security men were injured. One is said to be in critical condition after he was cut with a panga at the nape at Ubungo terminus.
Luoga, however, declined to give the names of his men who were injured.
S-Security Group started controlling public transport at eight bus termini.
These are Mwenge, Ubungo, Gongo la Mboto, Buguruni, Mbagala, Kariakoo, Uhuru Primary School and Tandika yesterday.
Since the security firm began deploying its personnel at bus termini, public transport has been disrupted as the JKT and touts jostled for control.
He said people who want control of the 63 commuter bus termini in Dar es Salaam instigated the fracas.
But the implementation of the exercise has been met with resistance since it was mooted last year as the touts vowed to stay put and resist the attempts to evict them form their ’’work stations.’’
They have often complained that they are being deprived of their source of income.
Several people were injured, some seriously and properties worth millions of shillings destroyed as JKT men and women parried attacks by the touts.
Calm was restored at Mwenge after anti-riot police arrived at 9.45am.
Similar bloody scenes were witnessed last year when city askaris tried to remove the touts from bus termini.
The attempt flopped as touts complained that they were being denied their daily bread.
The S-Group Security Company was forced to suspend the exercise pending negotiations between stakeholders the City Council, drivers and touts associations and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Prior to yesterday’s fracas, it was not clear whether the parties had agreed on the modalities of implementing the project.
|
