MDC MP Naison Nemadziwa ‘safe in hiding’

By Tichaona Sibanda
8 July 2008

The MDC MP for Buhera South in Manicaland, Naison Nemadziwa, is now safe in hiding after he was released on police bail on Saturday. The whereabouts of the MP had been a mystery since last week Tuesday when he was abducted by six armed men outside the High court in Mutare.

It has now emerged Nemadziwa was in police custody all along, at a remote police post in Buhera. Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC spokesman for Manicaland, said Nemadziwa was released on a Z$100 billion bail after police charged him with inciting violence in his constituency.

‘We have a strange judicial system in our country. The MP went to court to hear an election petition against him and ended up being abducted and kept from the public eye for a week. What we know now is he has since been charged and released on bail,’ Muchauraya said.

Nemadziwa, now resting at a safe house, was held incommunicado by the police under instruction from the losing Zanu-PF candidate for Buhera South, Joseph Chinotimba. The newly elected MP was bundled into the back of a waiting car and driven away after he became involved in an argument with a group of six men at the courthouse.

The MDC identified one of his abductors as Zimbabwe National Army Colonel Morgan Mzilikazi. The army officer, together with Chinotimba, has been waging war against MDC activists in Buhera.

Four other MPs in the province are still on the police wanted list. They’re reportedly all in hiding. These are John Nyamande, Makoni central, Mathius Mlambo, Chipinge East, Misheck Kagurabadza, Mutasa South and Elton Mangoma, Makoni North. Buhera North MP Eric Matinenga was recently released from prison after being held without charge for close to a month.