The Sunday News
POLICE roadblocks which have been on the increase on the country’s major roads have been blasted by tourism players as a menace that is intimidating international tourists and giving the impression that the country is not a safe tourist destination.
The roadblocks have also been said to be retarding efforts by Government to promote domestic tourism as they are said to be impeding the free movement of citizens, raising a constitutional matter in the process.
Tourism players in Matabeleland North, home to the country’s leading tourist attraction, the Victoria Falls, said they had received numerous complaints from tourists who drive into the country about the number of the police roadblocks they encounter from any port of entry until their arrival to view the falls.
A tourist who entered the country through Beitbridge Border Post could encounter up to 18 roadblocks when driving to Victoria Falls.
The tourism players said the setting up of roadblocks within a short distance from each other frustrates tourists who visit the country and Victoria Falls in particular, and puts a dent on the country’s hospitality.
Victoria Falls had for the past two years started receiving increased numbers of tourists coming from all over the world after the successful holding of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly in August 2013.
Police at the road blocks have been accused of harassing tourists demanding unrealistic spot fines.
“Police Ahead”, is normally a sign that should invoke relief among drivers on the country’s roads, but that sign no longer inspires a sense of safety but dejection among road users across the country.
The police visibility on the roads, though necessary, has become a cause for concern, frustrating and an affront to people’s freedoms.
In an interview, the Employers’ Association for Tourism and Safari Operators (EATSO) president Mr Clement Mukwasi said roadblocks in tourism areas should be used sparingly as tourists were uncomfortable with the practice.
“Other crime prevention initiatives should be used and not roadblocks. Road blocks create a very bad impression to international visitors. It’s undesirable to have more than one roadblock in a single police province,” said Mr Mukwasi.
“Arguably, some of these roadblocks violate the constitutional right for free movement of innocent citizens. They are intimidating in nature and a serious consideration should be taken up when planning these road barriers. They also affect domestic tourism as buses are delayed and it’s frustrating.”
Zimbabwe Tourism Council representative in Victoria Falls, Ms Barbra Murasiranwa said the roadblocks deterred self-drive tourism and were unwarranted.
“It’s a difficult situation. Whether the roadblocks are genuine or not it raises a security issue in the eyes of the tourists. They don’t take them as safety roadblocks but as harassment,” said Ms Murasiranwa.
“On one of my journeys from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls I counted these roadblocks and found out that they were 25 roadblocks on that day. What are they for?”
Ms Murasiranwa urged the police to reduce the number of roadblocks to promote tourism.
“It’s just intimidating to the tourists. We have a number of self-drive tourists but with the current situation where you find a roadblock after every 20 kilometres deters them from coming into the country. We don’t have many aeroplanes for tourists to fly in and out, so we should encourage some to drive in. No matter how friendly the police could be, tourists viewed the roadblocks as harassment,” Ms Murasiranwa said.
Contacted for comment, National Police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Charity Charamba said she was not at work and referred Sunday News to Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi whose mobile phone went continuously unanswered.
However, the Minister of State for Matabeleland North Cde Cain Mathema said tourism players should write to him voicing their concerns.
“Why do they speak through you? I have not heard what you are talking about because roadblocks are all over the country and not in Matabeleland North only. They should write to me and give me figures of how the roadblocks have affected tourist arrivals,” said Cde Mathema.
