The Sunday News
Sunday News Reporter
A NYAMANDLOVU family have been exposed for using their business premises for hosting gay parties and also conducting illegal political inciting activities in the guise of operating a bed and breakfast facility.
Mr Sibangilizwe Masina and his family had been operating the popular facility which also boasts of conference centre.
The facility is popular with most Non-government organisations from the Matabeleland region as they would constantly come to hold retreats and various conferences.
However, the business was a couple of weeks ago exposed after they hosted a members of the LGBTI community that had rented out the entire facility for a retreat.
This reportedly raised the ire of the community that alleged that they had been ignoring the activities at the facility for a number of years.
According to community sources, the LGBTI group had hosted a loud party where they also displayed their rainbow coloured flags, openly flaunting that they were gay.
“As the community we decided to report this facility to the village head, who subsequently reported the matter to the police because what they were exhibiting is not prohibited in our culture nor does the law accept such, actually this has been going on for some time but Mr Masina has been ignoring us, instead he says his business does not discriminate hence they can host these groupings anytime.
“Further investigations from the community surrounding the facility revealed that they have not only been holding these gay parties but they have also been conducting illegal political activities,” said a villager who only identified himself as Mr Moyo.
Police sources revealed that Mr Masina- who has previously worked in a number hotels in the country- together with his daughter, Senzokuhle Immaculate Masina had been picked up for questioning with the possibility of facing charges of being a public nuisance.
“We received reports emanating from the facility where villagers told us of the illegal parties and noting that these were causing a public nuisance. The matter is now under investigation and they are still being detained as they are claiming that they did not know that these people were from the LGBTI community as they had just called and made the bookings, paying in full,” said the police source.
However, the Masina family has insisted that they did nothing wrong, saying theirs was an honest business that just wanted to lift the status of the community.
“We feel what they are doing is unfair, we host a lot of people here and how would we know their nature, we do not discriminate. We are now leaving in fear because as is Mr Masina was heavily tortured all for owning a business, we wish they would understand that we are just a business,” said the family member who requested anonymity fearing victimization.
