A Zimbabwean cross-border trader, Charlotte Dube, has been left traumatised and injured after being abducted and brutally assaulted by a Zebra Kiss bus crew. The incident occurred after Dube was falsely accused of stealing a parcel belonging to another passenger.
Dube, who had boarded the Zebra Kiss bus in Zambia, was on her way home when the ordeal began. A fellow passenger claimed to have lost a parcel, and the bus crew, led by a conductor identified as Pardy, wrongly accused Dube of being responsible for the alleged theft.
Instead of investigating the matter properly, the crew took matters into their own hands. Dube was ordered to remain on the bus, which was then diverted to the company’s garage in Ardbennie, Harare.
Upon arrival at the garage, Dube was subjected to a horrific assault by a group of five men identified only as Marvin, Munashe, Kuda, Roma, and a man calling himself Baba Keketso. The men took turns beating her with planks, inflicting injuries on her hands, buttocks, and back.
The situation took an even more bizarre turn when the passenger who had claimed to have lost the parcel contacted the bus crew to inform them that it had not been stolen after all. Despite this revelation, the assault had already taken place, leaving Dube severely injured and traumatised.
Zebra Kiss manager, Kudakwashe Mupfukirei, initially claimed that the case had not yet reached his office when contacted for comment. “We are yet to receive that report from the passenger. We will inform you if we receive the case,” Mupfukirei stated.
However, H-Metro is in possession of messages exchanged between Mupfukirei and Dube’s husband, indicating that the manager was aware of the incident and was attempting to resolve the matter amicably.
Dube described the Zebra Kiss crew members who attacked her as heartless, expressing her disappointment and loss of trust in the company.
“I have been relying on Zebra Kiss for all my trips as a cross-border, but this time they destroyed my trust,” Dube said. “Their conductor Pardy engaged five of their staff members who took turns to beat me at their garage.”
She further explained that her goods were confiscated and handed over to the passenger who had initially claimed to have lost her parcel.
Dube has since reported the assault to the police. “The manager apologised over the false accusations and pleaded with my husband that they would refund us with US$300. They wanted us to withdraw the case from the police, but they injured me,” she said.
Adding insult to injury, Dube revealed that some passengers had taken photographs of her and posted them on social media, falsely accusing her of being a thief. “This has affected me physically and emotionally, my reputation, family, and my business,” she lamented.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza could not be reached for comment. However, sources have confirmed that the case was reported at Mbare Stodart Police Station under RRB 6362618.
Follow @MyZimbabweNews
