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Temba Dube Senior Reporter
TWO Bulawayo police officers had to seek refuge in a bottle store after a mob led by touts allegedly attacked them in protest when they tried to arrest one of the touts. The incident occurred at Sekusile Shopping Centre in Nkulumane suburb on Tuesday night. The officers were reportedly holed up in the bottle store for more than an hour with the mob baying for their blood outside.
Witnesses said the officers had arrested Marizeva Ndebele, 57, for public drinking and handcuffed him.
“A tout popularly known as Taliban accosted the officers and demanded that they release Marizeva. The officers ended up uncuffing Marizeva and going after Taliban,” said one of the witnesses.
Vendors around the shopping centre said one of the officers tripped the tout and they started beating him.
“One of the policemen started hitting him with a pair of handcuffs as he lay on the ground while the other struggled to put another pair of handcuffs on his hands. A group of touts who work with Taliban mobilised and some people joined them. They went after the officers,” said a vendor.
“The officers at first stood their ground but as the mob advanced menacingly towards them, they backed away from Taliban before fleeing into Dziruni Bottle Store. The owner of the bottle store stood at the door and begged the touts to let the officers leave the shop.”
Chronicle caught up with Ndebele, who confirmed the incident.
“They arrested me for public drinking and the boys intervened. I do not know what happened afterwards because I remained seated where I had been drinking,” said Ndebele.
The proprietor of Dziruni Bottle Store, Ndadzoka Dziruni, 39, also confirmed the incident.
“We had a meeting as the business community with police and they said there would be extra patrols this festive season to increase police visibility and deter criminals.
“I think the officers were part of the roving patrols. When the mob attacked them, they came into the shop. We took them out using a back door while the crowd waited at the front,” said Dziruni.
A group of touts yesterday said Taliban, whose real name could not be ascertained, had gone to his rural home to hide from the police.
Residents said there had been a heavy police presence in the area at night since the incident occurred.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo, said two people had been arrested over the incident.
“We arrested two suspects for gambling and public drinking. We also charged them with being a public nuisance and they paid admission of guilt fines. As police, we encourage members of the public to cooperate with police and avoid resisting arrest,” said Insp Moyo.
“Members of the public have rights that the police are there to uphold. If anyone feels police have violated their rights, they can approach the officer in charge at a police station for redress.”
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