A Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) soldier yesterday slapped a police officer at a busy traffic intersection in Dar es Salaam.The impatient army officer slapped the traffic policeman, identified as Sergeant Thomas, during the morning rush hour at the Morogoro Road, Mandela Expressway and Sam Nujoma Road junction.The soldier, whose identity and rank were not immediately established, was apparently angered by the police officer's decision to hold up the queue coming from Buguruni for over ten minutes and give preference to traffic heading to the city centre from Kimara.
Now I am not the kinda guy who supports vigilantism. But any Bongolander who has gone through a similar experience - being made to wait by a traffic cop for minutes on end, through some weird logic, while he prioritises motorists from one route, oblivious to those of the other routes - will feel that soldier's frustrations. As Chris Rock said of O.J's alleged killing of his wife and her boyfriend: 'I don't condone it, but I understand.'
3 comments:
I can see the challenge, for me personally it gets even more absurd, if roads are blocked for 20 minutes for one minister or another to pass. If we want government to take infrastructure development serious the least we can do is give them a "real life" experience of what traffic is like in Dar for ordinary citizen.
It is when the soldiers begin to slap civilians that you will fail to understand that behaviour.
I completely agree with you. No one, including the army, should think that they are above the law. But my point was simply that when you are stuck in traffic for up to an hour, with the traffic cop seemingly oblivious to your side of the road, thoughts of violence do cross one's mind. Of course, i am not suggesting that folks go out there and beat up on the police. I am merely saying that it can be a frustrating experience.
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