20 February 2008

38 Days to go…

The seven Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) leadership who were yesterday morning abducted by the ruling ZANU PF hooligans before their subsequent torture at the party’s Provincial offices are under police guard at a private hospital in Harare. They are joined by two more members who were arrested the same day in the afternoon for distributing fliers in the Central Business District (CBD).

The nine, who are currently undergoing medical treatment under heavy police guard, will be taken to Harare Central police station for further interrogations upon completion of medical treatment. Information reaching Crisis Coalition from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) is that the police have already started preparing statements of arrest in the hospital.

The catalyst team interviewed the organization’s President, Takavafira Zhou who is nursing a fractured arm, deep cuts on the right leg and a swollen back. He narrated his ordeal on how he ended up in the ZANU PF torture chamber, which he said was covered with blood on both the floors and the walls.

It all started when their members were caught by the ruling party militia in the Central Business District whilst distributing fliers on their position with regard to the education crisis in the country. They were taken to an underground torture room at the ZANU PF Provincial offices along 4th street where they were beaten up with sticks, metal polls and button sticks. They were forced to recite ZANU PF slogans and proclaim President Robert Mugabe’s rule till perpetuity.

One of the victims, Hilary Jamila, passed out during the torture in the presence of an armed police officer who was later asked to arrest the nine. The officer complied with the demands and subsequently arrested the nine.

Zhou stated that upon their arrival at Harare Central Police Station, he woke up to the shock of his life when he saw what the police referred to as exhibit. Police officers were in possession of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) T/shirts and posters alleging that the PTUZ members were distributing the materials. The police officers ignored the metal polls and baton sticks which were used by the ZANU PF torture machinery.

The police were equally quick to accept ZANU PF as the complainant to the case, ignoring the overwhelming evidence that the ruling party thugs had tortured the nine. However, the police are alleging that the teachers were distributing MDC materials in the ZANU PF property, provoking the party youth militia to beat them up. The names of the victims are noted below:

Takavafira Zhou - President

Raymond Majongwe - Secretary General

Harrison Mudzuri - Information and Publicity Officer

Laditous Zunde - National Treasurer

Osward Madziva - National Coordinator

Bernard Shoko - Member

Linda Fumande - Member

Hilary Jamila - Member

Charles Mbwandarika - Member

The injuries sustained by the PTUZ members bear testimony to the grave levels the ruling party can go to win the elections through hook or crook. The culture of state sponsored violence has been revisited again by the establishment. The people who are supposed to protect the populace, the police, have become latent accomplices during such gruesome processes. Allowing elections to be held under such an environment will definitely lead to a compromised outcome; the results will be equally compromised.