An MDC-T torture victim (name supplied),opened up to Viomak after listening to her music and watching her music videos showing images of victims of torture .The victim who was severely tortured by notorious ZANUPF agents later followed the activist’s work and confirmed that he was impressed by the principles of her political party ZIDELE which is at formation stage.Below is an affidavit emailed to Viomak in which the victim chronicles how he was mercilessly tortured and it is published with his approval.
I ,********** (,born on the ************,do hereby solemnly swear to the following:
1.I am a male citizen of Zimbabwe whose National Identity Number is ***********.I reside at house number *************, ********My mobile number is **********(note 091 is soon to be changed to 077 with effect from 2 October 2010)
2.I am a member of the MDC-T in the inclusive government.I am also a human rights and social activist.
3.On 11 February 2002,I was moving around farms in Ruwa distributing MDC pamphlets and literature I got from Human Rights NGO Forum.I had successfully distributed these materials at Kimpton Farm,Mandley Park area and Protea Farm but was not so lucky at Philips Farm where I was abducted.I was staying at Kopjes Farm owned by Afras Gwaradzimba who is the government administrator for Shabani-Mashava asbestos mine seized from businessman Mutumwa Mawere.Gwaradzimba comes from the same rural area with me,in Mberengwa. He is the owner of a Chartered Accountancy Company called AMG Global housed at Club Chambers along Nelson Mandela Avenue in Harare. We differed on political views,he was and I believe is still a staunch ZANU PF member while I belonged to the then opposition.
4.When I finished distributing literature at Philips Farm,the farm manager who was an over-zealous ZANU PF supporter phoned ZANU PF leadership in Mashonaland East and mobilsed other ZANU PF supporters so that I can be abducted.Just soon after I had left Philips Farm on my direction back to Kopjes Farm I heard some noises and whistling.I looked back to see a group of ZANU PF youth toy-toying towards me with knobb-kerries.Then infront of me,I saw a green Defender with registration number D73 approaching me with a group of ZANU PF youth seated at the back,singing.I was terrified.I was struck by a knobb-kerry on the fore head and I fell down.The youth seized me and wanted to further beat me but there was a man who was seated in front of the Defender who restrained them.He identified himself as ‘Rex Nhongo”(Solomon Mujuru) Solomon Mujuru is the husband of the Vice President in the inclusive government,Joice Mujuru.He is one of the rich political heavy-weights in Zimbabwe who are feared.The ZANU PF youth seated at the back of the Defender went wild .There were baying for my blood but “Rex Nhongo” managed to calm them down. I was shoved in the front seat,between the driver and “Rex Nhongo”.The driver was heading towards Goromonzi turn off.Along the way,”Rex Nhongo” subjected me to vicious interrogation about my allegiance to the MDC.He ransacked my satchel containing my literature and pamphlets.He took away my Identity documents.I was terrified that I was stammering and lying in my responses.
5.We travelled for about an hour before arriving at the notorious Goromonzi turn-off.There was a building like a class room,a Zimbabwean flag outside and a group of more than 200 ZANU PF militia were at the base.I was thrown out of the car into the middle of ethusiastic ZANU PF militia mentioned above,who immediately started to severely assault me.”Rex Nhongo” called the base commander whom I later knew as Takesure Mbano and he told him to restrain the youth from killing me.I later gathered that Takesure Mbano is from Gokwe.His father was a primary school teacher at Bluegum primary school in Chevecheve area ,just soon after Empress Mine.I later gathered that he stood for primary elections to stand as a Member of Parliament for Gokwe Central on a ZANU PF ticket in 2005 and he lost to Lovemore Mupukuta.I gathered that he owns Mwendas Milling Company in Ruwa.In 2006 I was interviewed by Carol Gombakomba on Studio 7 concerning my abduction.Mbano was asked about my story and he professed ignorance. Soon after the Defender had left,the ZANU PF militia started to beat all over the body,using logs,chains and fists,booted feet and whips.All the while,they were accussing me of ‘treading in no-go area for the MDC’.
6.After the beatings, I was eventually forced to lie down.I have never felt the pain that I felt then before in my life.All the while they were hurling abuses and obcenities at the president of the MDC and me. It was already during the night and they tied my hands behind my back and started again to assault me.I think it was around 22.00hrs that I passed out.
7.When I regained consciousness, I was treated to even more agony.I woke up to find that I was stripped naked and had been drenched with water. I however pretended to be still unconscious,and listened to Takesure Mbano talking about how “Rex Nhongo” would organize food for them the following day. He was also talking about Joseph Chinotimba’s visit to the farms to ‘dilute my campaign influence’. He was also talking about flushing out all MDC supporters and boasting that they had already abducted and tortured forty-six MDC activists from Mashonaland East area.
8.My hands and feet were tied up again. A copy of Daily News newspaper which was by then perceived to be an opposition paper, was rolled up and ignited.I was then burnt all over the body and suffered severe burns . I thought that I was going to die, and prayed for God to spare me.I was doused with paraffin and some of the youth wanted to set me alight but Takesure Mbano pleaded with them not to kill me as “Rex Nhongo” had instructed him to restrain them. There were some militia from the Border Gezi Youth Training who were vehement that I should be killed and thrown in a dam. They said they will tie me with some rocks ,one on the legs and the other on the neck so that my body will not float and therefore conceal the evidence.They said this is what they did to other three MDC activists.
9.I woke up at around 9.00am on Tuesday to find three youth guarding me. Others were singing the national anthem outside where I could see the national flag being hoisted up. One of the youth forced me to kiss a poster of Robert Mugabe,and to repeat words to the effect that “Mugabe will rule Zimbabwe until he is tired of it,irrespective of whether Zimbabweans like it or not” After the singing,the youth returned and I was subjected to more verbal abuse. One the youth kicked me in the face.I tried to block it and my right middle finger was broken in the process. He instructed one of the woman whom he called by the name Chiedza to dash her legs and my head was forced between her legs. She did that and they laughed asking me what I have seen. I said “nothing” and they repeatedly beat me with a log on the soles of my feet saying I was rude I should say the truth. I was also forced to crawl with my feet and hands while I moo like a cow. My white shirt was blood stained and my black trousers was torn.
10.After this ,some three women came carrying copies of Aenias Chigwedere,who was then Minister of Education,Sport and Culture,Dynamics Of History Books 1 and 2. I was ordered to read aloud chapters on the slave trade and the first chimurenga.I could not do that as I was feeling pain .I could not handle the text as my right middle finger was broken.Since I was puffed up in the face from the beatings,I was aching and found it difficult and painful
11.At around 11.00am,three smartly dressed young entered the room and identified themselves as members of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation(CIO),which is the spy agency of the government and operates in the President’s office. I was ordered to stand up on one swollen leg, but I kept falling down.I was asked a number of questions, but had difficulty in opening and closing my jaws because of the unbearable pain. They eventually gave up, but promised to come back in an hour and take me away. In the meantime, the youths militia forced me to lick up the floor with my tongue.
12. At around 13.00pm hrs, the CIO came back for me.I was even more frightened. I thought that they were going to kill me. Nobody knew that I had been abducted.I was blind-folded and driven –off. I was told that I was being driven off to Marondera. I was brought to the CIO offices in Marondera and thrown into a small room where I was being interrogated.I could not talk properly, since I was living bruises, pain and blood. They left me for about two hours, and around 17.00hrs, a police officer took me to Marondera police station and put in the police cells on CIO instructions. The cell had many other inmates, I think over thirty. I could not count since I was in pain. One of the police officers gave me a pen and a writing pad. I was then told to write about my life history as well as my involvement with the MDC while in the cells. I was warned that if I lied or fail to fill all the papers, I would be killed the following day. I could not make a grip on the papers since my hands were swollen and my middle right finger was broken.
13.On the following day, a Wednesday, a parade of the cell inmates was conducted. While others were going out for the parade, I failed even to raise my legs. I heard others telling the police that an inmate is in the cell and is dying. After about 10 minutes the CIO came and took me away. They realized that my condition was serious. I was delirious, thirsty , famished and ill. I also failed to respond to questions. I was dirty and my shirt was torn and had burnt holes all over. They therefore ordered a youth to bath me in the open. Whenever I tried to ask for food, only a horrible gurgle would escape my mouth. When I was taken back to the CIO offices, I was given some painkillers and a glass of juice. I felt a little better. I was however promptly subjected to a barrage of questioning again. These questions were related to MDC safe houses, bases and alleged weaponry. One of the woman CIO suggested that I should be blind-folded and drove off to Mberengwa and be killed there in my home area.
14.My luck was that there was a CIO from Mberengwa who identified to me as Hove. He was sympathetic to me. He pretended to be very angry with me and he clapped me in the face and pushed me outside. He told me to remain outside when he went back to the office. He came back with my National ID document and he gave meZ$300.00 as transport money to go back to Harare .He warned me not to be involved in politics again. He said a file has already been opened for me and he even show a cutting of one of the articles I had wrote which had appeared in the Daily News before. The article was about political violence in Mberengwa. He warned me against talking to the press and to desist from any future dealings with the MDC. I was told that I had already been blacklisted because of my “critical” writing, and that I should never dream of finding employment in any government sector.
15.When I got to Harare I hobbled my way to Harvest House(MDC-T Headquarters) where I related my story. I received treatment at the Avenues Clinic . On the following day I went to AMG Global offices at the Club Chambers to see Afras Gwaradzimba. Upon seeing me entering his office with my body heavily bandaged, Gwaradzimba rose from his seat and pushed me outside saying he does not want to see me again. I tried to explain to him what had happened but he called one of his young subordinates who took me by the hand and led me down the stairs. Gwaradzimba shouted to me that I should get help from Tsvangirai whom I support. I then decided to go to Avondale where my friend was staying. I went with him to Amani Trust and I received further treatment from Doctor Lovemore. I then went to the Daily News Offices where my sorry pictures were captured by Virginia Mauluka. My story was written by Luke Tamborinyoka (Who is now the Prime Minister’s spokesperson).My story appeared in the Daily News issue of Friday together with the pictures. I still suffer from chest pains and my middle right finger is deformed in spite of the treatment. I also have problems with my legs. I cannot put on shoes, I only put on sandals.