Zambia's reformed bus touts

'Bus boys' now carry out voter education

By Penny Dale in Lusaka

Twins Moses and Peter Chipeta are two of Zambia's notorious bus touts.

These young men shout out the destination of minibuses at hectic township bus depots, hurling a stream of abuse as they jostle passengers into overcrowded, clapped-out vehicles.

We tried to help them to see them that women are human beings and that their vote is powerful

Lubinda Tafira
Zambia Alliance of Women

Women passengers suffer the brunt of their bad language, sexual innuendos and aggression.

The so-called "bus boys" are easy prey for Zambia's less than scrupulous politicians on the look-out for rent-a-thugs - who can be used to menace and rough up opponents' supporters. Buying up voter cards is also a favourite political ploy.

With Zambia's presidential and general elections due on 27 December, many will jump at the opportunity of taking the politicians' money.

Change of heart

A political violence spree can earn them 10,000 to 20,000 kwacha ($3 to $6), double or quadruple what some of them earn in a day, while a voter card goes for a 25 kg bag of the staple food, mealie meal.

But easy money is no longer a temptation for the twins from Lusaka's Chunga township, who have stopped fighting among themselves and with their passengers.

Bus travel is now more pleasant for Zambia's women

The change of heart is down to a recent voter education and human rights workshop, organised by the Zambia Alliance of Women in one of the capital's plushest hotels, for drivers and crews from the main mini-bus stations.

"We tried to help them to see them that women are human beings and that their vote is powerful," said Lubinda Tafira, executive director of the Zambia Alliance of Women.

Moses Chipeta says the workshop has made him see another side to life.

"It was like I was sleeping and then woke up. Until the workshop, I never thought that I should treat people with respect," he told BBC News Online.

Shelter

Christina Chileshe, a trader who travels back and forth, sometimes twice a day, between Lusaka's main Soweto market to collect vegetables for sale in Chunga township, is delighted that the bus crews no longer make her journeys miserable.

"There has been much change in the boys' behaviour since the workshop. We are much happier, we feel free and very safe. Now there is much peace," she said.

They have bought smart new uniforms

Proud of their work, the Chunga bus touts now call themselves station controllers, sport smart uniforms and, after a whip-round, have built a bus shelter to protect travellers from driving rain and sweltering sun.

The station is orderly, clean and safe, and if passengers leave something on the bus, they get it back - unheard of until recently.

Not following leaders

This new-found confidence has also transformed the bus crews' thinking on politics and the elections.

All the men who attended the Zambia Alliance of Women workshop are registered and say they will vote.

There has been much change in the boys' behaviour since the workshop. We are much happier, we feel free and very safe. Now there is much peace

Christina Chileshe
Market trader

"We have discovered that we have the power to hold MPs, councillors and all those in authority to account. Before, we didn't know we had the right.

"Because they were leaders, we thought we should just follow. But now, we will vote for those who are fair and faithful to us," says John Choti, chairman of the Chunga bus drivers' association.

Don Shumba, from Mutendere township, admits selling his voter card to the highest bidder in previous elections and being paid to beat up the supporters of opposition parties.

"We know that we need to hang on to our voter cards because our vote is important. We will not waste our time with such politicians."

'Secret vote'

In fact, it is the "bus boys" who are now educating passengers about their right to vote and the importance of using their vote in the forthcoming elections.

"Your vote is secret, you must use your vote" is now as familiar a sound in some of the bus stations as 'Hospital, hospital, this bus for the hospital.'

With apathy running high, any additional voter education is welcome.

Only 55% of the eligible population is registered to vote, despite the Electoral Commission of Zambia extending the registration by five weeks earlier in the year.

And getting all those 2.6 million people to polling stations will be a major challenge, if previous turnouts of 30-40% are anything to go by.

The effect of voter apathy on this year's poll will be compounded by the decision of outgoing President Frederick Chiluba to hold elections on 27 December, right in the middle of the rainy and Christmas seasons.

For rural people especially, walking several kilometres in heavy downpours could prove one too many hurdle.