Vusumuzi Dube
Sunday News Reporter
A POPULAR restaurant owner based in Plumtree town, Matabeleland South, Roslinna Mpofu, has been forced to shut down her business, with family members saying they are not aware of her whereabouts after her business was targeted on allegations that she was using her premises as hub for the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change.
Mpofu, who was running the 40-sitter Mamarossa kitchen in the town was reportedly labelled a member of the opposition after she won a tender to host a delegation which was suspected to be from the CCC who were meeting to strategise ahead of the upcoming 2023 Harmonised elections.
According to Mpofu’s grandmother, Mandipa Mpofu, the restaurant was recently forced to close after it was raided by the police and members of the ruling Zanu-PF.
“What happened is my grand-daughter was running a legit business which had grown to become one of the most popular outlets in the town. Owing to that popularity it then happened that she hosted a delegation which was said to be from the CCC, which is when all hell broke loose.
“She was arrested and her premises raided where CCC campaign material was found. She informed us that during her incarceration she was tortured and raped. Right now we do not know as straight after she was released she just disappeared and the restaurant is now a white elephant, even her daughter just disappeared, we do not know where they are hence our appeal to anyone to assist us in locating them,” said the grandmother.
“What pains us is that this business was a source of living for the family and she would host a lot of people, she even employed a number of locals who have now been rendered unemployed,” she added.
Police sources however revealed that neighbouring business people had reported Mpofu to the police for allegedly causing a nuisance at the shopping centre through her alleged activities.
“It was alleged that she was using her popular spot to invite members of the opposition to hold meetings and also distributing various materials which were reportedly castigating the government,” said the police source.
Mpofu had inherited the restaurant from her mother who succumbed to injuries sustained from political motivated attacks in 2016.
Online Reporter