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Churches confront Mnangagwa over abductions

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Religious groupings have condemned the recent abductions and torture of citizens by the state saying the government must focus on ending hardships.

Religious groupings have condemned the recent abductions and torture of citizens by the state saying the government must focus on ending hardships of the ordinary people as a result of the lockdown, which interrupted the economic activities of the majority.

By Desmond Chingarande

Three MDC Alliance members that include Harare West legislator, Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri were allegedly abducted and later dumped in Bindura after being sexually abused and forced to eat human excreta by the alleged abductors.

Two Bulawayo women Ntombizodwa and Nokuthula Mpofu of Cowdray Park were also badly assaulted by six police officers who were enforcing lockdown and resulted in them being arrested for the assault.

The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations said the two cases where “deeply disturbing”.

“It is deeply disturbing that the country has seen so many cases of abductions and torture in the last few months, most of which have not been conclusively investigated. 

“What is further disturbing are insinuations from state agents that all these abductions are either stage managed or carried out by an unrecognisable third force without substantiating such claims. 

“This constitutes the dereliction of responsibility of the highest order on the part of the government,” the church leaders said in a statement.

“We are aware of the economic hardships the ordinary people are facing as a result of the lockdown since it has interrupted the economic activities of the majority of Zimbabweans who are informally employed. 

“Instead of the parliament and other state institutions providing leadership to galvanise the nation to work together to find shared solutions to ameliorate the pain of the citizens, it is unacceptable to see such callous acts executed while citizens are suffering from the effects of the lockdown.”

The call by the bishops came after several rights organisations, business community and diplomatic community raised concern over the abductions and torture of citizens by the state.

The Zimbabwean government denies being responsible for the abduction of the MDC members and is instead claiming this was stage managed.

The government’s excuse is well-worn, as for decades it is yet to arrest anyone on allegations of stage-managing an abduction.

More than five years ago, activist, Itai Dzamara went missing and the government is yet to account for his whereabouts.