Badly tortured student leader finally released

By Brilliant Pongo
10 August 2007

After 3 days in police detention Clever Bere, the president of the students' union at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), appeared before the magistrates courts badly bruised. Bere was released on bail and is due back in the courts on the 3rd September. He is facing charges of malicious damage to property and contempt of court after police claimed he failed to appear in court with other arrested students. It is however unclear how Bere could have been in contempt of court given that he was never arrested with the other students between May and June. Themba Maphenduka a presidential candidate for student council elections told Newsreel that Police in Bulawayo had been hunting for Bere since demonstrations in May this year.

On Monday police dragged him in handcuffs from an unknown location all the way to Bulawayo central police station where he was brutalised and tortured. Mapheduka described what he witnessed as inhumane treatment. “He was kept in isolation. When we took food to him at the holding cell he was in a bad state and he could hardly stand. They made him sleep in a cell in which police kept pouring water into. Bere was taken to Galen House Medical Centre soon after his release for Medical check ups.
The Mugabe regime is increasing its abuse and torture of students in an effort to silence them, but Maphenduka said students would continue to speak out against the brutal regime. Students are infuriated at the continued increase of tuition fees at a time when the regime is claiming to be slashing prices of all commodities in a crackdown on the business community.