“Two police officers came out and told me that I was under arrest for stealing the file from the union office and that I had to come with them to the charge office.”
He said when he tried to explain why he had the right to hold union property, the police officers, one in plain clothes and the other in traffic uniform told him that he cannot be a union leader because he had been expelled from work.
Chimidza believes that there is a network of union officials in Orapa who want to destabilize the national office. He suspects that there is an arrangement to make Orapa branch inaccessible to the national office. “They deliberately want to create some form of criminal record for me so that I am completely barred from Orapa.” Chimidza is among BMWU officials recently barred from entering the mine to conduct elections for a new branch committee.
He said that in the latest incident, he had gone to Orapa police station to meet the commander over financial issues at Orapa branch. He did not get the commander and he decided to pass through the union office. While he was perusing files at the office, a branch official stormed in and started grilling him on what he was up to.
“I avoided any confrontation and left with the file as per the suggestion of the officer,” Chimidza said. Later when he was driving back, the police waylaid and arrested him before he reached Palapye.
Meanwhile, Inspector Ditiro Mogataatshwene of Orapa police declined to comment on the matter saying it is still under investigation. But another police officer who did not want to be named said five union members reported Chimidza following the disappearance of a file at the Orapa offices.
Orapa Mine Workers Union branch chairman, Martin Marukuru said Chimidza had come and borrowed the file and left the office on the understanding that he was going to make copies and return it. He stated that that one official in the branch reported to the police that Chimidza had stolen the file though he took it in good faith. “He was dragged around like a criminal though he was innocent and entitled to the file as our leader.” Marukuru said they even approached the police to explain everything. He accused the police of acting on petty issues. He expressed pity that the police confiscated the file.
