Three MDC officials abducted in Chipinge South

By Tichaona Sibanda
25 October 2007

An aspiring MDC parliamentary candidate and two other party officials were abducted from their homes Thursday in Chipinge South and are being held at a police post manned by war veterans at Checheche growth point.

The opposition officials were bundled into a white B1800 truck with no number plates by six heavily built men in broad daylight. Before startled onlookers could help, the truck was driven away at high speed.

The three abductees, George Makuyaya the MDC’s parliamentary candidate for next year’s elections, Philip Munopera the party’s district elections director and local ward Chairman Leornard Makusha, are reportedly being held by Zanu-PF members loyal to the local MP and central committee member Enock Porusingazi.

The MDC said the police post, situated in a building owned by Porusingazi, is a no-go area for the opposition, human rights activists and lawyers. Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC spokesman for Manicaland, said more often war veterans and Zanu-PF youths man the police post.

‘You will be signing your own death warrant if you try to approach the police post. This is why we are concerned about the safety of our colleagues because we hear a lot of horror stories coming from that police post,’ Muchauraya said.

Muchauraya added that they have concluded from the abduction that the ‘extremely violent’ Porusingazi wants to frighten Makuyana from standing against him during next year’s parliamentary elections.

‘It shows they are panicking and they know they are going to lose the elections. This is why they are resorting to violence in the hope that people will vote them back into parliament.’