Horrific cost of abductions laid bare as
Government critics continue to bear the brunt of abductions with an employee of a regional non-governmental network, Southern Africa Political Economy Series (Sapes) Trust, in Harare being the latest victim.
Prominent government critic and convener at the Sapes Trust Ibbo Mandaza on Friday disclosed that the female employee was abducted near Avenues Clinic while walking to work and before she was sexually abused last Thursday.
The 19-year-old victim was later dumped by the roadside in a harrowing incident.
Mandaza told The Standard that the girl was approached by individuals in a car, who pretended to be inquiring about something before forcibly pushing her into their car.
They allegedly sprayed her with an unknown substance.
Mandaza said the young woman later regained consciousness in a location in the western suburbs.
“It was last Thursday; she was abducted on her way to work at 8am near Avenues Clinic,” Mandaza said.
“Occupants of an unidentified vehicle pretended to be inquiring about something before they pushed her into their car and sprayed something on her.”
Mandaza said the girl was later sexually abused.
“She was dropped somewhere in the western suburbs having been sexually abused,” he said.
Mandaza said the case was reported to the police, but there has been zero headway into the investigations.
“They haven’t come back to us,” he said.
“This is shocking and shameful enough, but to discover as we have, that this criminal practice is rampant, and yet ZRP are silent about it, is alarming,”
Efforts to get a comment from national police spokesperson assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi were fruitless.
In November last year, parliamentarians grilled Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi over the police’s seemingly lackadaisical approach in carrying out investigations into politically motivated abductions, enforced disappearances and murder of opposition activists.
There were several cases of attempted abductions of opposition members before and after the disputed August 2023 elections.
Enforced disappearances and abductions have become an established pattern against government critics.
Some of the victims have been found dead while others such as activist Itai Dzamara are yet to be accounted for.
Last year, former Citizens Coalition for Change CCC) councillor Takudzwa Ngadziore recorded a short video of gun-toting men closing in on him before he was abducted, tortured and injected with an unknown substance.
He was later dumped in Mazowe.
This publication last week tracked CCC Harare councillor Womberaishe Nhende, who was snatched in September 2023 by unknown persons.
His abductors kept him in captivity for hours alongside another CCC activist Sanele Mkhuhlane before they were released.
They were assaulted and tortured before being injected with an unknown substance and later dumped in Mapinga, about 73km along the Harare-Chirundu highway.
Nhende still bears the physical and emotional scars from his abduction by suspected Zanu PF and state agents.
“I have Jesus stripes all over my body,” he said.
“My left shoulder is still aching; the top left side of my back is still in pain to the extent that a couple of weeks ago I was not even able to drive.
“My legs are in constant pain, I do not have balance when I am walking.”
He said he has been undergoing therapy for a stomach ailment with ongoing consultations scheduled to monitor his progress.
“I had a couple of tests; I had DNA regeneration, blood, urine and faeces tests,” he said.
“The doctors tried to get samples from every part of the body so that they could be satisfied to understand what it is.
“I am still waiting for certain results, some have come out and I have been under treatment for a stomach ailment...”
He disclosed how his initial hospitalisation in Zimbabwe was disrupted by security forces, culminating in the arrest of his legal representatives
“It was a staggered admission,” he said.
“I was admitted here in Zimbabwe, but my security was compromised.
“There was forceful entry into the hospital by members of the security forces on the firstday when I was admitted at Parktown.
“Second day they came with (police’s) Law and Order (detectives) and they arrested my lawyers Doug Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi.”
Fearing for his safety, Nhende sought refuge in South Africa where he underwent a monthlong hospitalisation followed by intensive physiotherapy and counseling sessions.
Nhende said he was still suffering from lingering health issues, including reduced appetite and persistent nausea.
“I now have serious problems in terms of eating; the portion of food that I used to take back then has significantly reduced,” he said.
“I easily get nauseated and in most cases I eat around 4pm because that’s when I would be feeling very hungry.
“I force myself to eat. I take natural yoghurt for energy during the day.”
His family now lives in constant fear for his safety.
“But by virtue of being a councillor, people just come looking for you, perhaps they need help on certain things,” he said.
“So there's that fear that it might be the state that has come again under the guise of someone that needs help.
“It's something that builds a lot of paranoia within my family.”
According to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, over 5,894 people were abducted by the state since 2000.