Recently I came across photos of a well known former ZBC news anchor, Dave Amberton. He was handcuffed forlornly starring at the camera looking lost. Apparently he was being accused of stealing bacon from a Spar shop.
My puzzlement turned to disgust and anger when I found that he had been arrested while he suffers from dementia.
Having had relatives who suffered from the disease I know it's toll. One grand uncle was found walking 20 km from home. He was saying he was just going to open the kraal for the cows. Yet the kraal was only a couple hundred metres from his house.
People suffering from dementia can easily loose their sense of location, time and sometimes even forget who they are. No competent court would ever convict Dave. He should never have been handcuffed, let alone paraded in front of cameras as a criminal.
What is even more disgusting is that some people celebrated his plight because he is white. That is simply racist.
We may have extremely bitter memories from the time of colonialism but that is not an excuse to abuse a humble soul like Dave. Dave served Zimbabwe faithfully for a long time. He most likely would have faced abuse and ridicule from those whites who are hardcore racists for continuing to serve in a black run ZBC. Racism is ignorance.
We cannot repay him with ridicule over a disease that comes from old age. No ndaramba. I disagree with the treatment that Dave was given. It is just crass ignorance to arrest a person suffering from dementia.
I therefore would like to ask minister of information Christopher Mushowe to please pay Dave a visit and find out if he is okay. Can he please give him our regards and let him know that we are so grateful from the service he did for our country.
As for the Spar shop that is accusing him of stealing bacon, can they please contact me on punungwe@gmail.com. I will pay for that bacon, but that will be the last thing I will ever buy from that Spar.
