By Entertainment Reporter
Controversial actress and radio personality Tinopona Katsande has spoken out about the recent death of her friend under her custody.
Having had hit the waves with a sextape about five years ago, Tinopona has had to this time clear her name off a potential drug scandal involving the death of her friend, Rebecca Chinyerere.
In a press statement, Katsande went against all possible odds to clear her name insisting that her friend who was fighting drug addiction had other serious health problems.
She wrote, “I, Tinopona Katsande, write this open presser to clear the air on events surrounding the death my dear friend and confidant, Rebecca Chinyerere (Becky) May the truth I narrate clear my name against all the mudslinging that followed her death.
“On the night of Tuesday 23 June 2020 my friend Becky collapsed in my bathroom at my house in Avondale and was pronounced dead on arrival at Kensington 24 hour medical emergency Clinic. She was laid to rest in Guruve on Sunday 28th June. May her dear soul rest in peace.
“My friend Becky had serious medical problems and suffered from severe depression at the time which very few people knew about. Only a week before her death, she had collapsed while staying at their family home (where she was residing with her brother in Belvedere) and was treated at Parerenyatwa hospital. She had been fighting a drug addiction problem exacerbated by traumatic family relationships and depression. To my knowledge she had abstained from drug intake for sometime and was on a recovery path.”
Tino Katsande narrated how she had been in contact with Becky after all her troubles.
She said, “Becky contacted me and asked if she could visit for a couple of days with her two kids aged 13 and 3, to get some relief from the family stresses. I went to pick up Becky with the full agreement of her brother. We had so much fun during those two days. On the 2nd day of her visit Becky was taking a shower in my bathroom upstairs. I sent the kids (my 4 year old and Becky’s 3 year old) to get some vasiline from her. They found Becky collapsed in the shower and raised an alarm. I then went upstairs to see what was happening, and to my horror what the children were shouting about was indeed true.”
She then narrated how her “horror” occurred saying she can never forget the events.
Tino Katsande said, “I can never forget the events that followed and that just seem like a long nightmareI took Becky by taxi to Kensington 24 hour emergency centre where the attending doctor pronounced her dead while she was still in the taxi together with Becky’s two children. We were referred to Parerenyatwa hospital where we waited for 45 minutes in the taxi because Covid 19 protective equipment was still being awaited. With Becky’s phone having already died the only way to inform her brother was to drive with the corpse and the children to Belvedere. The brother refused to assist, or even to have his wife accompany us back to Pare.”
“Back at Parerenyatwa we finally got the assistance of the doctor and the police post. It was only then that the police spoke to Becky’s brother who finally came over for the statements to be completed. The body was taken to the funeral parlour.”
The actress said that there were no drugs involved in her house and insinuating that Becky was already sick.
“Contrary to what the media is saying there were no drugs involved at my house or during the time of her stay with me. A search in my home by 10 police officers found none. The autopsy report states that Becky had an enlarged heart approximately six times the Normal size. I find it disturbing that so many are now coming out of the woodworks, claiming to know and love and raise money for Becky in her death yet were nowhere to be seen when in life she most needed financial assistance, love and non-judgemental care. I am very angry and totally disgusted at how the tabloid media rushed to publish falsehoods without verifying the facts just because the name Tinopona Katsande can help them sell papers.
” Finally I am appalled at how Becky’s family would try ” kundipomera mhosva ” I am at total peace with my God and with my friend’s spirit. I’m at peace that my friend spent her last day on this earth in an environment she felt loved unconditionally, where we laughed, ate, danced and sang with our kids. I gave my Becky a place she and her two boys could just relax and be happy even if only for that brief moment.”
Tino is widely known one of the most celebrated after her role as Joyce in Studio 263. She has also had various influential roles on the small screen.
