By Thulani Ncube (Nehanda Radio, Bulawayo Correspondent)
Bulawayo- Sipho Mazibuko, the founder of the Miss Rural Zimbabwe beauty pageant, was on Saturday arrested by police and committed to the Ingutsheni Mental Hospital in the city.
This follows claims that she accused several ministers and senior government officials of sexually harassing her over the past five years. In 2007 Mazibuko accused Zimbabwe Tourism Authority boss Karikoga Kaseke of victimising her after she turned down his sexual advances.
Over the weekend the pageant organiser asked journalists to come and witness her making a police report alleging that government ministers and other senior officials abused her and models from the Miss Rural Zimbabwe pageant. Police who refused to reveal the name of the minister’s immediately arrested her.
Police at the station said they believed she has clear mental problems arguing that after she made her report Mazibuko started shouting at the male police officers on duty. It’s not clear whether police have the power to send someone to a mental health facility especially one who has come to file a report of abuse.
