POLICE SEEK TO IDENTIFY these Bulawayo people who include kombi operators, illegal money changers and touts whose Images are shown.

PIRATE kombi operators and illegal money changers yesterday allegedly ganged up and attacked traffic police officers who were on patrol in the Bulawayo city centre.

Part of the mob of touts who attacked the police yesterday
The police need your help in identifying the pictured suspects. The rowdy crew smashed windows on the police vehicles and allegedly attempted to burn police officers alive.

Witnesses said the rogue gang assaulted the police officers demanding the release of the suspect.
Others are said to have surrounded one of the police patrol vehicles smashing its windows while threatening to assault officers that had sought cover inside the car.

The second crew is said to have escaped from the scene in one of the police cars and called reinforcements.
Chronicle got hold of one of the officers who was part of the crew that was rounded up by the mob who said “death was near” when the crowd attacked them.

The cop said at some point they thought that they would be burnt alive as they overheard the mob calling for petrol so that they could set the police car alight.

“We had locked our doors but they smashed the windowpanes and assaulted us.

We could hear some of them shouting saying siyazenzisa and we deserved to die. We overheard one of them saying that they should burn us alive. The person called for petrol.

We tried to escape from the car but the mob assaulted us making it impossible for us to get out of the car,” said an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The cop said they were rescued by fellow officers who fired teargas to disperse the mob. The officer said they could not estimate how long they were held hostage.

If you have any information on the identity of the suspects, please contact the police by calling 0292-885479 or sending a message through their WhatsApp number 0787 928 015.