‘MDC activist shot dead in cold blood’

By Tichaona Sibanda
2 November 2007

MDC activist Clemence Takaendesa was shot dead on Wednesday while fishing in the Mbemeswani River in KweKwe, by a retired army Brigadier with a well-known penchant for violence.

Brigadier Benjamin Mabenge shot and killed Takaendesa and seriously wounded his brother Taurai Chigede without firing a warning shot. Takaendesa’s body was only removed from the scene on Thursday, nearly 15 hours after the fatal shooting. Mabenge was arrested on Thursday and is expected to appear in court soon facing murder charges.

Mabenge has told the police he saw a group of people, including the deceased and his brother, poaching fish from the river that runs through his farm, a claim denied by the MDC. The MDC said Mabenge does not own exclusive rights to the river and that there is no law in the country that prohibits people from fishing in a river, unless it is from a private dam. Mabenge, a war veteran, is reported to have grabbed the farm during the violent farm invasions.

On Monday, Mabenge seriously injured another man he saw cutting wood on the farm, by hitting him with a rifle butt until he broke his left knee. The same man is sharing a ward in a KweKwe hospital with Taurai Chigede who was shot in the leg, according to Dr Henry Madzorere who is also the secretary for Health for the MDC.

Speaking about the man beaten with a rifle butt, Dr. Madzorere said: ‘Imagine how callous the man is. He drew a pistol and put it to his victim’s head and asked him four times whether he wanted to get shot in the head or preferred being beaten. Numb with shock, the victim did not reply and in the end Mabenge withdrew the pistol and picked up his rifle, which he used to beat up his victim until he passed out. This man is hunting human beings with the intention of maiming or killing them.’

Madzorera who is caring for the two victims told Newsreel a preliminary probe into the death of Takaendesa on Wednesday would show that the retired Brigadier General killed him in cold blood.

‘There was never any warning shot, Mabenge just walked near to where the victims were fishing and opened fire with a high powered rifle. The single bullet killed Takaendesa and also seriously injured his brother. The two are blood brothers but they use different surnames. He never bothered to check on the condition of the victims, he just walked away as if nothing had happened,’ Madzorera said.

The retired army officer has a history of violence and causing mayhem is the Midlands town. Between 2000 and 2005, under the protection of Zanu-PF strongman, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mabenge left a trail of broken bones among MDC activists. He is reportedly responsible for the burning down of the MDC office in the town and other houses belonging to leading party activists.

MDC MP for KweKwe, Blessing Chebundo, is one of his other victims. In 2000 a group of youths led by Mabenge doused him with petrol but he escaped death by a whisker when he grabbed one of his attackers. This prevented him from being set on fire because the attacker would have been burned in the process.

Described as a ‘maniac’ by Madzorera, Mabenge committed a ‘cardinal sin’ by standing against Mnangagwa in the 2005 Zanu-PF primaries. The two eventually fell-out and now don’t see eye to eye.

‘I am sure this time he will do time in prison. There is no one to protect him because of his fall out with Mnangagwa. I think KweKwe would be a safer place without Mabenge because he has caused so much heartache in the last seven years,’ Madzorera said.