Deputy Minister for Labour implicated in Gwanda murder case

By Tererai Karimakwenda
15 January, 2008

Reliable sources in the Gwanda district of Matabeleland have revealed that police investigating the abduction and murder of a civil servant back in 2002 are preparing to bring charges against several ZANU-PF officials, including the Deputy Minister For Public Service and Labour (and MP for Gwanda South) Abednico Ncube. The victim, a civil servant named Tumelo Makhurane, disappeared the day after presidential elections in 2002. His remains were found in July 2007.

Our Matabeleland contact Warren Moroka got details of the case from police officials involved in the investigations. He said there was enough evidence to prosecute Ncube and his accomplices in 2003. But an order came from top officials within ZANU-PF instructing the police to drop the case.

Makhurane was taken from his home in the early hours of the morning after the presidential election. Allegedly the abductors were a gang that included Ncube, who was then Mayor of Gwanda South. Others accused in the case are the former deputy mayor of Gwanda, Japhet Dube plus war veteran Robson Mafu. Two others said to be involved were Jossam Siziba, and Never Matshazile, a now deceased member of the ZANU PF provincial youth league.

The victim had worked as the presiding election officer at Zhukwe Primary School, where Ncube wanted to stuff ballot boxes in favour of Robert Mugabe but Makhurane refused to open the boxes. Ncube then allegedly threatened him with disappearance and death in the event Mugabe lost the election. Even though Mugabe announced a victory, the threat against Makhurane appears to have been carried out.

Moroka quotes one of the police sources as saying: "Our informants suggest that contrary to earlier suggestions of a CIO hit job, he was taken by these men to Dube's house where we believe he was tortured and possibly beaten to death before being dumped, first at a farm owned by Mafu and later on state land where his remains were finally seen by people who were gathering firewood.”

According Moroka, Ncube is one of Robert Mugabe’s key officials in Matabeleland, a militant who managed to retain his seat even after the MDC won most constituencies in the province.
We were unable to contact Ncube for comment.

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