Missing MP, MDC Alliance activists found “badly beaten, tortured”

Comment & Analysis
Three MDC Alliance activists, including an MP, who went missing after they were allegedly arrested for taking part in a demo have been found.

Three MDC Alliance activists, including a Member of Parliament, who went missing after they were allegedly arrested for taking part in a protest in Harare, were found in Bindura on Thursday night, their lawyers said on Friday.

By Staff Reporter

Harare West MP Joana Mamombe and two activists Netsai Marova  as well as Cecilia Chimbiri were found “badly beaten” and “tortured”, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said.

The ZLHR, which had filed a High Court application on Thursday night seeking to force the authorities to produce the trio within 12 hours, said they received information around 23:00 hours that the missing activists had been dumped in Bindura rural.

“They have been badly tortured,” ZLHR said. “ZLHR strongly condemns such wanton disregard of human rights and the constitution.

“Enforced disappearances, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment can never be justified.

“All perpetrators must be held accountable.”

The trio were taken to a private hospital in Harare where they are receiving treatment.

Western embassies, that included those of the European Union, United Kingdom and United States on Thursday, condemned the alleged abduction of the youthful MP and her fellow activists.

The embassies urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to ensure that they were released unharmed.

Police had said the women were not in their custody following reports that they were arrested at a roadblock in Harare.

In March, the United States imposed sanctions on State Security minister Owen Ncube over accusations that he ordered state security agents to abduct and mistreat opposition supporters.

The blacklisting of Ncube, a staunch Mnangagwa followed a spate of abductions targeting government critics, which followed protests.