Arrested youth leaders dumped in bush near Marondera

By Lance Guma
19 April 2007

The leaders of a newly formed youth movement who were arrested on Wednesday, were dumped in the bush near Marondera by arresting police officers. 5 leaders from the Zimbabwe Youth Movement were bundled into a police truck after riot police violently broke up their rally at Huruyadzo shopping centre in Chitungwiza. The youths say they were trying to commemorate a betrayed revolution, which has seen the ideals of the liberation war being forsaken by the Zanu PF regime. Collen Chibango the president of the group told Newsreel how their national organising secretary Hentchel Mavuma was severely beaten up during the violent disruption of their Independence Day rally.

Mavuma, a former footballer who underwent an unsuccessful knee operation a few years ago, was clobbered by baton sticks on exactly the same knee. He is said to be requiring urgent medical attention. The entire top leadership was arrested including Chibango, Vice president Sinduza Ndlovu, Information Secretary Garikai Kajawu, National Organising Secretary Hentchel Mavuma and Wellington Mahohoma the treasurer. Other reports say Sendisa Sandura a member of the group was also arrested. By the end of the day the police had arrested over 20 other youths in follow up operations, but they were released on the same day.

Chibango said they were taken to what looked like Makoni police station and locked up in a back room for about 3 hours. They were then put into a Landrover Santana vehicle with civilian number plates and driven along the Chitungwiza-Marondera road. He says after a 40-minute drive the police turned into a dirt road by the side and stopped the vehicle. At this point the youths were interrogated about their organisation and who was funding them. The police also asked if they had any links to the opposition, the Save Zimbabwe Campaign or the Zimbabwe National Students Union. It was only after an hour of interrogation and threats that they were dumped in the bush around 4am in the morning and left to walk back to Chitungwiza.

The youth movement issued a defiant message saying they will not be cowed by the harassment and instead will be organising an ‘all youth’ convention in which a strong leadership will emerge that will complete the ‘betrayed Chimurenga revolution.’