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One of the Seven police officers, who threw teargas cannisters into a bus full of passengers at the Harare Exhibition Park yesterday afternoon, has been arrested with the other six now have to account for their actions.
In a video clip that went viral on social media yesterday, a group of seven police officers was seen blocking the yellow Rimbi Tours bus that was enveloped in smoke. The area is a major bus stop for passengers wanting to catch a bus for the western areas.
Police branded Datsun Go vehicle was seen parked behind the bus while a Mazda B18 single cab truck was blocking the bus in the front.
The seven officers were seen pushing and shoving passengers while men and women were jumping out of the bus through windows.
Police officers in the Datsun Go just drove off when large numbers of people intervened. People could be heard grumbling while others were shouting at the police in protest.
Passengers aboard a Rimbi Tours coach had to jump out through the windows with some falling hard on the tarmac. Some were injured as they fell while others will need to be checked for possible internal injuries.
Police had stopped the bus to question and possibly arrest the driver on allegations that he had no driver’s licence and had quarrelled with passengers.
Police say they had information that the person in the driver’s seat had no Class One licence before asking him to open his window. When the driver resisted, a police officer then threw tear smoke cannisters into the bus.
It is not yet clear if the police officer had been instructed by superiors to do so.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the use of tear gas saying one officer who was seen throwing a tearsmoke cannister had been arrested.
“I can confirm the arrest of one officer for deploying tear smoke on passengers seated in a Rimbi Tours bus this afternoon at Harare Showgrounds. Investigations are ongoing and more are likely to be arrested, depending on their roles in the commission of the offence,” he said.
“We will leave no stone unturned and even the commanders of that team must explain their cases. No one is above the law,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the officers will be charged, both under the Police Act, and in terms of the Criminal law.
But the purported driver’s alleged offence will not be overlooked in a separate investigation. “We have instructed the command in Harare province to take action against the officers,” he said.
However, Asst Comm Nyathi said the bus crew should explain why the bus was being driven by someone without the required licence. “We understand someone who is not licenced to drive was driving the bus and full scale investigations will cover the police officers and the bus crew,” he said.
Tear smoke is usually used to disperse violent or potentially violent groups in the open air, the objective being to make the group break up and those involved run away. It is not usually used in confined spaces or where those affected are basically innocent bystanders. In this case the police wanted to question just one person, the purported driver.
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