Water shortage bites as crooks carjack man to steal water meant to clean windshield

Reports indicate that the biting water shortages in the country have resulted in not only an increase in sales of perfume to cover the stench of unwashed bodies, but also a rapid increase in water-related crimes. Reports indicate that several homes have been broken into, with thieves stealing nothing but jerricans full of water.

In an incident that feels surreal, a man even got himself carjacked for having the precious commodity in his car! While driving home from work, the man was stopped by hooded thugs brandishing guns. Thinking they wanted the car, the man quickly surrendered the car keys while pleading with the thugs to let him go.

The hooded men, however, had other ideas and after forcing him inside the boot of the car, they drove to a secluded area. But instead of dumping him there and taking off with the car, the thugs opened the bonnet and siphoned all the water for cleaning the windshield into a jerrycan before running off, leaving the man in shock.

"I have never seen anything like it. I tried to plead with them to spare the water and take my money but they wouldn't listen... I just stood there speechless not knowing what to do once they took off!" the man admitted. The incident came hot on the heels of another one where a water tanker had been involved in an accident near a busy shopping centre and police had to be called in to prevent people from killing each other as they fought over water.

Police officers had a hard time dispersing the crowds. Efforts to shoot in the air and lob tear gas canisters in the crowds to scare them proved futile. It was only when the dreaded GSU was spotted, armed with clubs that the crowd took off. In the end, scores went home with drenched clothes, injuries and bruised egos.

The water shortages have also led to a new wave of crime – waylaying and hijacking of water tankers. In light of this, the government has instructed all water vendors to ensure they are escorted by armed police officers in a chase car while in transit.

"Just like cash-in-transit vans must be accompanied by armed police officers travelling in a separate vehicle, so must the water tankers," read a statement from the Ministry of Lack of Planning. "This is to reduce the incidences of the water tanker crew from being ambushed and the water stolen. We live in very fluid times and this must come to a stop!"

Handcart water vendors have not been spared either. "We have received reports of several of them being waylaid and their water being taken away by people who did not sweat for it..." revealed one police officer. And because they are now perceived as to be enjoying their 'boom season', some water vendors have also had to hire security guards at their homes since thieves and other criminal types think they have a lot of money.

Politicians who are already in elected positions in the grassroots are also afraid that some of these water vendors are making so much money that they might be tempted to run for political office and make even more. "One group of people that is giving Mheshimiwa sleepless nights are these water vendors... they could cause an upset since they are too liquid these days," an aide to a politician confessed.

At the same time, hawkers who peddle bottled water along busy routes are also reporting sporadic attacks on them from people out to steal their products. Some have now formed vigilante groups where they take turns with one group doing business while the other keeps watch and vice versa. The hawkers of bottled water are also calling on the government to set up CCTV cameras at their favourite spots to improve the security situation.