Online Reporter
Peter Matika & Trish Mukwazo
THERE was chaos outside Tredgold Magistrate’s Court this morning when flamboyant activist and pageant founder Sipho Mazibuko was arrested for staging what police called an illegal demonstration.
Mazibuko, known for founding Mr and Miss Rural Zimbabwe, Esteemed Businesswomen Zimbabwe and the Mental Voices Trust, was bundled into a police van along with several Mr and Miss Rural title holders and her personal aides.
The group had gathered at the courthouse in a dramatic bid to demand justice for a 16-year-old girl allegedly raped by her uncle under bizarre “healing” claims.
Speaking just before her arrest, Sipho fired a parting shot.
“All the witnesses in the case are scared to testify because the accused’s family has been threatening them. The courts have said they will dismiss the case if no one comes forward,” she said.
Police said the demonstration had not been sanctioned and violated public order laws.
Mazibuko’s protest was aimed at spotlighting a disturbing rape case involving a cross-border lorry driver who allegedly violated his niece on ten separate occasions. The accused claimed the assaults were part of a ritual to cure the girl’s sick mother.
The matter came to light when a whistle-blower from Mabheleni Village in Mbembesi alerted Mazibuko, prompting her to act.
Despite the heavy-handed arrest, Sipho stood firm.
“We will not be silenced. The girl must get justice,” she shouted as police shut the van doors.
Court officials declined to comment on the protest, but sources say Mazibuko could face charges of disorderly conduct and illegal assembly.
More drama is expected as both the rape trial and Sipho’s own court appearance unfold.
