Abduction update
09 April 2007
From the Tsvangirai MDC

Philip Katsande, MDC provincial executive member abducted
At 11pm last night 5 men, in plain clothes, arrived at the Katsande home in Budiriro and shouted from the gate that they were police and demanded to be let in. They started to remove the spikes off the top of the fence. They then tried to gain entry via the front door but were unsuccessful as it had a grill door across it. They then went round to the side of the house and broke the windows and entered into the lounge. They could not find Mr. Katsande so they began to beat his wife and 20 year old son .

Eventually the family told the "police" that he was in the ceiling. One of the men fired a shot, with a hand gun, into the ceiling. Mr. Katsande had his arms folded, which probably saved his life. The bullet travelled through both arms inflicting flesh wounds and entered on the upper left side of his chest. He was then taken to Harare Central Police Station. Some hours later he was left at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

He was treated in casualty and then transferred to a ward, under Police guard, this afternoon. The staff of the Hospital do their level best with very little at their disposal. They put up a drip, but well wishers had to drive around Harare trying to find 4 litres of Ringer Lactate drips – the total cost being Z$740, 000.00. All the Pharmacies contacted said that there was a shortage of this living saving drip in Zimbabwe.
3 litres of blood had been drained from his chest cavity in two hours. He is stable.

Solomon Madzore, MDC Chairman of Youth Assembly.
Abducted at gun point, with his vehicle, at 11am today. His whereabouts are unknown.