ce at the cell’s gate till the following morning.
I was informed of her illness when she had been taken to Parirenyatwa but when I got there she had not been treated so her name was not in the register- due to the strike by the junior doctors. When I told the lawyer about this, the police could not allow him to see her. I was not allowed to see her either when I went to the cells. I tried talking to the member in charge but that actually worsened her plight. I spent the whole day running around from one office to another without assistance.
After her release we took her to some doctors provided by the NCA and it was discovered that she had suffered a severe headache and other symptoms. I believe all this was caused by the squalid conditions of the cell and it is not true that she collapsed due to hunger because she was getting enough food.
DISTRESSED HUSBAND, Harare
MDC SA Congress
EDITOR – Allow me a space to highlight a few things about the MDC in South Africa. The party has continued to grow apace, regardless of individuals who have chosen to go their own way. The struggle for a true democracy goes on as our leaders continue the campaign for freedom, both at home and in the Diaspora.
We are busy preparing for our congress at the end of August 2006, where the new leadership will be chosen. The party acknowledges that there is a lot of pressure and stress, but we will never ever tolerate any use of physical force, tribalism, racism, homophobia or any abuse of power among our members.
Strong actions will be taken against any individuals caught practicing such behaviour.
The interim regional committee wishes to distance itself from the newly-formed party. Our structure remains loyal to the MDC.
Chairman: Judge Ziwatsho Ncube, Vice: Amon Ndlovu, Secretary: Mehluli Sibanda.
Vice: William Mabona, Organ Sec: Rogers Mudarikwa, Vice: Lovemore Tshabalala
Treasurer :Jiness Ngubo, Secretary for Inform & publicity: Onias T Sikande Ndlovu, Vice: Gift Sampama, Women’s assembly chairperson: Fillipa Masuku, Vice: Agness Nkhoma, Sec: Mirriam Ncube, Youth Assembly chairperson: Mark Thebe, Vice : Simon Masuku, Sec: Eric Chademane, Head of Security: Vengai Tapiwa Tommy Ndlovu
MDC, SA Region
A plea for unity
EDITOR – As a party we in the MDC need to realise that splitting on personal grounds does not help the struggle we are all fighting. We all should work together for a better Zimbabwe.
As a party we need to be open to each other, learn from our mistakes, agree to differ and stand with one voice to build a better Zimbabwe. With all respect to Prof Mutambara and Pesident Tsvangirai, I think our leaders need to have a re-think regarding the split. Whose interest does the division serve? Mugabe is laughing at us – to him he has won.
The Mutambara faction needs to realise that Tsvangirai is the founding father of our political revolution, he has fought to bring into the open the many abuses of the Mugabe regime. He has risked his life- and deserves our respect.
But we should know that Moses needed Aaron to lead the people into the
promised land. Similarly, people like Mutambara are very important to bring fresh blood into the arena.
But we need to be careful of anybody betraying the democratic cause, or being used by the Mugabe regime to mislead the people. We must not forget the times of Edgar Tekere and how he was used by Mugabe to mislead and divide the people.
We need to BE UNITED, with a person like Mutambara, young, energetic and articulate as leader and people like Tsvangirai and Sibanda as senior advisors. Tsvangirai cannot just be discarded – he has a very important role to play.
I plead with all supporters of MDC in the UK to come together in a peace conference to discuss the way forward.
PEDZISAYI CHITAKUNYE, UK