“The police in Bulawayo really hate me. I have not done any wrong. That is why they arrested me together with my comrade Cosmas of Pumula District,” says Tsepiso.
Indeed police arrested the MDC-T crew when they observed that MDC-T fliers were being distributed in the Central Business District. Large numbers of leaflets were also being handed out to residents in the high density suburbs. Police reacted as they normally do. A big search party of plain clothes details was dispatched to find out who exactly was handing out the advertisements.
After the dispatch came reports that the MDC-T driver had been arrested for allegedly not having a driver’s licence. After the driver produced all the necessary documents, police once again accused the activists of breaking the law.
“You are in breach of the Public Order and Security Act. You have more than three passengers in your truck,” said a police officer. Tsepiso and her comrades refused to be bullied.
“Since when has it become a crime for a vehicle to have more than two passengers,” asked Tsepiso. Instead of answering the question, the officers kept quiet.
“If you were to stop and search all motorists, are you sure that you will find all vehicles with one passenger?” asked Tsepiso. Upon hearing her response, police officers then arrested Tsepiso and another party member called Cosmas saying, “Imi muri stubborn sitereki (You are very stubborn).
The Zimbabwean asked Tsepiso what she thinks of her arrest. She said, “Bayahlanya laba. Bafuna ukungijayela amapolisa (They are mad. Police are taking me for granted.”
Despite maintaining that she is innocent, Tsepiso knows full well why police started to persecute her. In 2002, she assaulted notorious Detective Inspector Martin Matira of the Police Homicide Department. Matira was the officer charged with investigating the murder of the late National Hero Cain Nkala.
“The assault on Matira happened because police came everyday to beat up the MDC youths. We could not tolerate that,” said an MDC member called David Moyo.
Tsepiso stood at the door of the MDC regional offices near the National Railways of Zimbabwe recruitment offices, when she jumped up to slap Matira once on the cheek. She hit him with all her might. Matira fell and fainted immediately. From that day, MDC activists were liberated because Matira never came back to harass them.
“It still surprises me how a girl could fell a whole man and police officer in the form of Matira. Tsepiso hit Inspector Matira so hard that he fainted. For that she only escaped imprisonment and subsequent torture with a fine. It is unbelievable,” said an MDC member who refused to be identified for fear of breaching party protocol which only allows designated information officers to speak to the press.
Turning to the Cain Nkala case, Zimbabweans got to know that the MDC cadres comprising Remember Moyo, Kethani Sibanda and Sazini Mpofu among others had been framed. They had stayed in prison for years for a crime they did not do.
A comment was sought from Tsepiso on what she thought about the MDC youths who were arrested on charges of murdering Cain Nkala.
“Remember Moyo was an innocent man. It is Matira and other police officers who tortured MDC youths in order to force a confession,” said Tsepiso.
She went on to say that, “Police came everyday to our offices wearing anti-riot combat gear. They carried AK47 rifles and they beat up many youths at our old offices near the railway station.”
With the benefit of hindsight, one can now state with confidence that the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) misled the nation. The ZBC and other Government controlled media just wanted to create conflict amongst political parties.
“ZBC misled the nation into believing that the MDC youth wing was comprised of murderers. This will never be true,” said Tsepiso.
Since the acquittal of accused MDC youths in the Cain Nkala case, Tsepiso has not received any respite from security officers. In 2008, some members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) forced her to sit on the tarred road in Bulawayo’s Main Street.
“The CIO people made her sit in front of their offices at Magnet House in Bulawayo. They made her eat and swallow two MDC-T campaign posters, while they laughed at her,” said one MDC-T member.
As she ate the posters, the CIO officers taunted her saying, “Unemachende here iwe? Seyi unechivindi chakadayi (Do you have testicles? Why are you so brave?)”
In 2010, Tsepiso was arrested at Pumula police station. She was accused of placing graffiti on a house in Pumula by a man called Artwell Sibanda. When police interrogated Sibanda’s witnesses they discovered that the charges were fabricated.
Realizing that she was going to humiliate and defeat the complainant and his prosecutor in court, police refused to take Tsepiso to court. The Member-in-Charge of Pumula Police Station refused anything to do with the case, which was strange considering that Tsepiso had been detained for a whole day.
The latest arrest, which took place last week, does not come as a surprise. Tsepiso’s political opponents and the police know full well that Tsepiso is a powerful organizer. That is why police confiscated MDC-T fliers which advertised the rally.
However, despite attempts by police to frustrate the MDC-T, Tsepiso marshalled the MDC-T’s Organising Department to fill up the White City Stadium with at least 20 000 supporters. Such is Tsepiso’s efficiency and the very reason she is very popular amongst Bulawayo residents and MDC-T structures.
Post published in: News