Tinotenda Hove – Outrage has erupted across Zimbabwe after the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) announced a crushing new tax targeting kombis, taxis, and trucks. Struggling operators say the move is nothing short of a government “cash grab” designed to bleed them dry while commuters are left to foot the bill.

Under the new rules, kombis carrying 15–24 passengers must cough up US$60 every month, smaller ones with 8–14 seats will pay US$50, while bigger buses carrying more than 37 passengers are slapped with a staggering US$100 monthly charge. Taxi cabs, driving schools, and trucks have not been spared, some forced to fork out as much as US$500.

ZIMRA coldly declared: “No license will be issued if taxpayer has not paid the presumptive tax or produced a tax clearance certificate. Taxpayers are urged to comply.”

Operators, however, are furious. One angry kombi driver blasted the government saying: “This is robbery! We already pay for fuel, repairs, police fines, and bribes. Now they want US$60 before we even start work? They are killing us.”

The announcement has sparked fears of massive fare hikes, with millions of commuters bracing for tougher days ahead. Prices for basic goods and services are already skyrocketing, and now transport costs are set to soar because of what operators call “daylight extortion.”

Another operator warned: “If they force this tax on us, many kombis will park their vehicles. People will be stranded. Does the government even care about the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans?”

ZINARA, acting as ZIMRA’s collection agent, has threatened to block licenses for any operator who refuses to pay, effectively forcing thousands of vehicles off the road. Critics say this amounts to state-sanctioned sabotage of the public transport system.

For many, the new tax is proof that authorities have run out of ideas and are now targeting the poorest for survival. Instead of solving the country’s economic collapse, the government has chosen to declare war on kombis — and by extension, on the millions who rely on them every single day.