BY SILAS NKALA
POLICE in Matabeleland North have dismissed claims that they were not doing anything to stop Binga’s Mountain View bar owner, Constantino Mambowa from violating COVID-19 regulations by continuing to operate despite the ban.
The police said they have arrested Mambowa twice before for violating COVID-19 regulations.
The remarks by the police came after Binga residents claimed that Mambowa had been operating since March last year despite a government ban in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda said it was not true that police were not doing anything to stop the bar owner from violating COVID-19 ban.
“It is not true that we are not doing anything. The bar’s owner in question has been arrested twice so far. On June 20 that person made payment of $500 admission of guilty fine reference number 0601026A in respect of his arrest,” Banda said.
“On February 17, 2021 the same person made payment of $2000 admission of guilty fine- reference number 0494131A in respect of his arrest on February 17. He is not the only one who has been arrested. There are other owners of beer outlets who have been arrested on similar charges that we cannot give their names off hand.”
Banda said those two arrests of the bar owner were made after a tip off by the public.
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“We are saying if someone happens to see businesses violating COVID-19 regulations, they must feel free to report to the police and if one is at fault, he or she will be arrested. We work with the public and people must assist us to arrest the offenders,” Banda said.
Banda said police conduct patrols in the province and whoever is caught violating the COVID-19 restrictions is charged and fined.
Binga residents had complained about the bar, citing it as a potential COVID-19 super-spreader. The residents claimed police in the district knew about the bar’s activities but were reluctant to act on the owner because he is an “undercover police officer”.
By last weekend, Binga had recorded 36 new COVID-29 infections.
@silasnkala
