National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration co-minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu has alleged he was harassed at a police roadblock while on his way to Hwange for a routine court remand on Monday.
Mzila-Ndlovu said he was harassed by a police officer manning the roadblock along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road and had his vehicle searched for no apparent reason.
He made the allegations at a policy dialogue hosted by a local non-governmental Christian organisation, Habakkuk Trust, in conjunction with NewsDay in Plumtree on Wednesday.
“I was abused by the police the day before yesterday (on Monday) on my way to Hwange. I have been beaten before on my buttocks by police officers whom when we went to war were not born,” Ndlovu said. But police in Matabeleland North denied the allegations.
“Mzila-Ndlovu was stopped by police at a roadblock in Hwange at the Sinamatela turnoff.
“A constable asked for his driver’s licence and Mzila-Ndlovu responded by asking how the police officer thought he still did not have a licence at his age. The officer insisted on seeing his licence. Some passengers he was travelling with got agitated and asked whether the police treated Zanu PF officials in the same manner.
“Mzila-Ndlovu finally produced his licence and was allowed to proceed,” Assistant Commissioner Sithulisiwe Mokuele said.
Mzila-Ndlovu said after being ordered to stop, a police officer demanded to see his identification particulars.
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“I gave him my national identity card that was laminated. In a feat of rage the police office tore the plastic laminating my ID card saying ‘when you give the police your ID you should remove these plastics’. The other police officer who was senior intervened and asked why he was being harsh to us.
“That was when the officer restrained himself and I wonder what agenda he was pushing by harassing me.”
An MDC official who was accompanying the minister said the junior officer also asked why Ndlovu’s vehicle was not licenced.
He said it was explained that Ndlovu was a Cabinet minister and the vehicle belonged to government, but the junior officer allegedly said he did not care and went on to search the vehicle.
