Midlands police boss beats up, ‘jails’ breastfeeding junior

A senior police officer in the Midlands province allegedly slapped a breast-feeding female junior officer before strip searching her and subjecting her to humiliating frog jumps in front of suspects after she allegedly failed to salute him. 

The ZRP logo. Pro Propol,(For the propol-provincial police boss), or Pro Lege, Pro Patria, Pro Populo? (for the law, for the people, for the country)

Assistant Commissioner Musarashana Mabunda, the acting Officer Commanding Police in the Midlands, also kept Constable Muroyiwa of Nehanda Police Station in Gweru’s Mkoba 19 suburb, locked up in police holding cells overnight.

Asst Comm Mabunda, who sources said was clad in civilian attire, arrived unexpectedly at the station on Sunday when Const Muroyiwa was the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the 2PM to 10PM shift.

The Asst Comm arrived at the station in a commuter omnibus that he had apparently impounded. He was in the company of a man suspected to be a police officer who was driving the kombi. They had a number of passengers on board and it appeared like the kombi crew had fled.

Asst Comm Mabunda ordered junior officers to call Const Muroyiwa, who was feeding suspects in the holding cells. “When Const Muroyiwa arrived, Asst Comm Mabunda instructed her to take the particulars of the kombi passengers. Asst Comm Mabunda then identified himself and the constable immediately instructed other officers to freeze and salute their superior,” said the source.

“Asst Comm Mabunda then asked Const Muroyiwa why they had not saluted him all along but before she could answer, she was ordered to go on a bun walk position (frog jumping) and the lady complied.”

The source said Asst Comm Mabunda asked the constable if she felt embarrassed by the punishment because of the presence of the passengers.

He then called the passengers to witness her moment of shame but they refused.

 

“This apparently incensed the boss who then instructed Const Muroyiwa to go to the cells. Const Muroyiwa pleaded with Asst Comm Mabunda to forgive her if she had done anything wrong. She also told him she wasbreastfeeding a baby,” said the source.

The source alleged Asst Comm Mabunda ordered Const Muroyiwa, who was in riot gear, to remove her belt, STU cap and shoulder titles.

“Then came the horror moment when Asst Comm Mabunda personally searched Const Muroyiwa. He searched her from the waist up and shortly thereafter clapped her on the left cheek hitting her left ear as well. The ear is still giving her problems up to now. Asst Comm Mabunda also took her cell phone charger,” said the source.

Thereafter, the source said, Asst Comm Mabunda locked Const Muroyiwa in the holding cells.

According to police procedure, a male police officer cannot conduct a body search on a female and vice versa. The officer’s husband had to bring the woman food and the baby for breastfeeding while she was in the holding cells.

“The Asst Comm is now charging Const Muroyiwa with failing to perform her duty in a proper manner and failure to obey a lawful order. He is alleging she refused to perform the frog jumps,” said the source.

Const Muroyiwa was charged and is supposed to appear for an internal hearing today.

The source said her superiors at the station are reportedly blocking her from filing a complaint saying she cannot report a senior officer.
Asst Comm Mabunda said he was in a meeting yesterday when asked to comment.

He continued saying he was in a meeting up to last night.

The Ass Comm told this reporter to put his questions in writing which he did through text messages. He was still to respond to questions texted to him and neither was he answering his mobile phone by close of business yesterday. 

Kamangeni Phiri in The Chronicle