By Paul Nyathi | Commuter Omnibus operators in Bulawayo under the Bulawayo United Public Transporters Association (BUPTA) have told ZimEye.com that they have been forced to release their taxis on New Year’s Eve to ferry Zanu PF party supporters to welcome President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Joshua Nkomo Airport.

The taxi operators claim that the ruling party has ordered the transporters to bring their vehicles to the party offices in the city to ferry party supporters to the airport and back into the City at the Trade Fair grounds where Mnangagwa is expected to address the party in Bulawayo as President for the first time.

The transporters said that the party is offering each operator 40 litres worth of fuel coupons for their business.

The purported ferrying of party supporters to the airport comes at a time when ZANU PF declared that it will no longer be busing supporters to its functions and rallies.

Efforts by ZimEye.com to confirm the President’s visit to the city were not successful at the time of writing.