15 MDC activists abducted and interrogated in Chipinge

By Tichaona Sibanda
13 November 2007

The MDC in Manicaland is concerned about the heightened political tension in the province, following the abduction and interrogation of 15 of its members on Monday evening in Chipinge South, allegedly by Zanu-PF militias.

The group was force-marched from a house belonging to one of its members and driven to a police post at Checheche business centre at 5pm, where they were handed over to the police. The police post there is housed in a building owned by the Zanu-PF MP for the area, Enock Porusingazi.

At the station, according to the MDC, the group was kept for several hours and were ordered to make signed statements. Questions covered matters pertaining to party activities, their jobs, personal details about who funded their activities and the names of active party cadres in the district.

Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC spokesman in the province, said all of them refused to answer most questions on the grounds that they were illegally abducted from a house for holding a legitimate consultative meeting.

After the interrogations the group was driven south to Chisumbanje police station, about 50km away, where they were held overnight until 4am Tuesday. The MDC believes that based on information obtained from the interrogations, the police were able to identify the ringleaders of the group.

‘After being screened by the police, nine activists were released without charge and the remaining six were transferred to Chipinge town, which is 250km north of Chisumbanje. Knowing the behaviour of the CID Law and Order section, we must be fearful for the wellbeing of our abducted members who are likely to be tortured,’ Muchauraya said.

The detained members were late this afternoon still being denied access to lawyers and food by a chief Inspector Mujaho of CID Chipinge. Four of the six activists have been identified as Tawanda Muzunya, Joel Mkondo, Chris Mukwaze and Alone Chiunje.

Three weeks ago an aspiring MDC parliamentary candidate and two other party officials were abducted from their homes in Chipinge South and held for three days at Porusingazi’s police post, which at times is manned by war veterans.

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, were interrogated under the orders of Porusingazi, who is also a Zanu-PF central committee member.