The Sunday News
Sunday News Reporter
A POPULAR restaurant located Nkayi Business Centre, Matabeleland North, has been caught in the eye of the storm with locals accusing it of becoming a hub of the Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change.
The restaurant-, Bekezela Eating House and Pub- which is owned by Sibonginkosi Hlabangana and her husband Mehluli Ncube has been operating in the area for a number of years however they recently attracted the wrath of Zanu-PF supporters and the police amid allegations that they have been hosting illegal meetings to drum up support for the opposition party ahead of the by-elections that are set to be held in some wards in the district.
The couple, according to their acquaintances and relatives- denied any involvement in politics but were just hosting their customers unaware that they were conducting political meetings.
So tense are the relations in the community regarding the restaurant that part of it was recently set on fire after a suspected petrol bomb was thrown inside the premises.
Both Hlabangana and Ncube have also been physically attacked by alleged Zanu-PF supporters and have also been detained by the police on allegations of holding unsanctioned meetings
Police sources revealed that neighbouring business people had reported Hlabangana to the police for allegedly causing a nuisance at the shopping centre through her alleged activities.
“For some time police had put the restaurant under surveillance as initially, members of the opposition would leave their material at the shop which they would then distribute to their patrons.
“However, everything came to a head when she hosted what she termed a luncheon for a group of CCC members, with these also conducting an impromptu rally, with people from the party addressing patrons and also people at the shopping centre,” said the source.
This publication managed to interview some of Hlabangana and Ncube’s employees at the restaurant- Siphilisiwe Moyo and Mkhululi Hlabangana- who revealed that they had since shut down operations after the attacks on the restaurant.
“Our bosses, Sibonginkosi and Mehluli have since gone into hiding together with their two children after the petrol bomb attack because they feared for their lives. However, our main crime was being a popular restaurant because everyone would pass by here to have lunch hence on the day in question these people were from having a rally in the district and came through just to have lunch, it was not a rally at all.
“Now that the restaurant has shut down, we do not know where to turn to because this was our only employment,” claimed Siphilisiwe.
