MDC Manicaland spokesman beaten and arrested
By Violet Gonda
30 April 2007

Pishai Muchauraya, the outspoken Information Officer for the Tsvangirai MDC in Manicaland, was arrested on Monday as the crackdown against opponents continues. As he was being driven from Mutare by security officers, Muchauraya managed to send an urgent text message to alert journalists and human rights lawyers. It said: “They are taking me to Harare in connection with recent bombings. I have been beaten five times so far.”

Alex Muchadehama, one of the lawyers assigned to the MDC political detainees, said he has been trying to enquire about this latest arrest but the police are giving him the “run around.”

Lawyers say there are about 30 political detainees in custody on allegations of petrol bombing several targets in the country. The opposition and rights groups say most of the detainees have been seriously tortured and are in need of urgent medical attention.

Families of the MDC deputy national organising secretary Morgan Komichi were worried about his condition as he was said to be bleeding from the nose and the mouth. A Harare magistrate, Lazarus Murendo ordered investigations into the assault of Phillip Mabika after he found the activist with deep cuts on his wrists and a swollen back. The State had refused permission for the two men to be attended to at either a government or private medical facility. But it has been reported that a prison doctor finally saw Mabika and Komichi late Sunday.

Human rights lawyers say they are spending a lot of time time seeking court orders for access to their clients and also for the detainees to be given medical treatment. Jesse Majome the MDC’s Deputy Secretary for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs said: “It appears as if the bottom has come off and there is absolutely abandonment of due process of the law and the right to be protected by the law in Zimbabwe.” She said it is possible that there could be people rotting in custody without legal representation. “It’s become such a dear pricy luxury for a lawyer to access clients,” the lawyer said.

Many of the political detainees have yet to be charged. Some, like Presidential aide Ian Makone, Glen View MP Paul Madzore, his young brother Solomon – who is also the Harare youth league chairman, Information Officer and Luke Tamborinyoka (former journalist), have been in remand prison for over a month. Lawyers say there is no clear evidence linking them to any of the alleged terror plots and say it is becoming clear the regime wants to cripple the opposition by arresting people dealing with administrative issues. Makone and others were sent back to prison after appearing in court for their remand hearing on Monday.