BULAWAYO – Following last week’s dramatic clashes with Zanu PF youths which resulted in MDC-T Bulawayo East legislator Thabitha Khumalo (TK) storming Njube Police Station topless, Nehanda Radio (NR) caught up with her to find out what transpired on the day in question.
NR: Hon what really happened when you ended up without a blouse at the Njube Police station.
TK: We had rallies in Bulawayo so I went to Magwegwe where we were holding one of the rallies. I was seated in my car during the proceedings and I saw an Isuzu dropping some youths. I asked them where they were from but they failed to give satisfactory answers. Our youths also asked them the same questions but before they could answer they took to their heels heading towards Njube, where there was another rally.
NR: So at what stage did you end up with a bra only?
TK: We followed these guys to Njube because we suspected they were Zanu PF youths and that was confirmed before we even arrived at the venue of the rally because we met a group of women who had just been attacked by the same youths.
One elderly woman was running towards the police station without a blouse and a bra. As a woman I rushed to try and help her but we had no any other T-shirts or anything like a blanket so we could cover her.
She entered into the police station and I followed her. I asked the officers whether they had a blanket or anything else to cover the old woman because it was not proper for the police officer to continue taking statements when the woman was naked.
The officers said they did not have any blankets so I said in the interest of preserving her dignity I would give her my top and remain with the bra so that the police can proceed with their work.
NR: What did the police do?
TK: Instead of trying to find a solution they vented their anger on me and opened a docket, charging me with public indecency.
NR: How much did you pay as fine?
TK: At first they said I should pay $20 but I asked for a schedule and they could not find it. They reduced the fine to $10 but still I insisted to see where it was written. I eventually paid $5 because the women wanted to go home so I wanted to make sure they arrived safely.
NR: Where the Zanu PF youths arrested?
TK: That is what shocked me because I gave the police officer the number plates of the two Isuzu pick ups the youths were driving but no one bothered to follow them. I even told them that the youths were still within the vicinity of the police station but again no police officer was dispatched to find out.
What I witnessed was selective application of the law where some are arrested while others are left to do whatever they want. Zanu PF has allowed its youths to be violent and the police, who are supposed to protect the common man, is doing nothing to stop the violence.
