Chinotimba implicated in MDC activist’s murder in Buhera

Joseph Chinotimba, the notorious opportunist infamous for leading the brutal
farm invasions, is back in the news again – this time for overseeing the
murder of an MDC activist. He has been implicated in the murder of a leading
MDC official who was the victim of a frenzied attack in Mutiusinazita,
Manicaland province on Saturday.
Known as Robert Mugabe’s hatchet man, the Zanu-PF’s losing parliamentary
candidate for Buhera South led a militia group that attacked and killed the
MDC ward chairman in the area. Chinotimba drove the militia to
Mutiusinazita, his home area, and parked his vehicle at Mutero clinic. The
group then started hunting down Chokuse Mupango, the MDC chairman for ward
26. He was the election strategist for Naison Nemadziva the MDC MP elect who
defeated Chinotimba. Popularly known in the area as ‘nyoka,’ Mupango was
warned of the impending danger and hid in his neighbour’s house.
Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC MP elect for Makoni South and party spokesman in
Manicaland said the militia searched both Mupango’s house and his neighbour’
s but failed to locate him.
‘As the group was about to retreat from the area, someone suggested they
search the toilets. And after a while they found him hiding in his neighbour
‘s toilet. He was dragged out and they started attacking him using knives as
well as sticks and knobkerries,’ Muchauraya said.
‘After they beat him so bad, the group decided to take him to Chinotimba
for further interrogation. But because of the nature of his injuries Mupango
collapsed and was by now gasping for air. Instead of seeking help, the group
fetched a wheelbarrow and took him to Chinotimba who was in the company of
five policemen at Mutero clinic,’ Muchauraya added.
When the militia got to Chinotimba, Mupango couldn’t respond to his
questions, and after a short time he died. ‘The sad thing is what was said
after they realized he had died. Chinotimba started calling him a pig,
raving to the crowd why the pig had died before he had even started with
him. His body was loaded into Chinotimba’s vehicle and was dropped at the
Birchenough Bridge hospital mortuary,’ Muchauraya said.
The MDC has since filed a report with the police. Muchauraya said there are
so many witnesses to this murder that ‘one day it would certainly come back
to haunt’ the self-anointed leader of the war veterans.
Meanwhile, two MDC activists who were abducted together with Beta
Chokururama in Murehwa two weekends ago, have been found dead in Goromonzi.
Chokururama’s body was the first to be discovered not too far away from
where they were abducted. He had a gunshot and four deep stab wounds to his
back.
The decomposed bodies of Godfrey Kauzani and Cain Nyeve’s bodies were found
on Sunday, a week after they were abducted in broad daylight near Murehwa.
Another activist Tedius Chimedza was able to escape and is now in hiding.
There is concern that Nyeve was severely tortured before he died as his eyes
had been gouged out.
Tragically the wives of Kauzani and Nyeve were also abducted Monday night
from their homes in Domboshawa by suspected state security agencies. They
have not been seen since and there are serious concerns about their safety.
In Harare musician Happyson Mabika, popularly known as ‘Reckless’ who
composed the top charting hit ‘tiriparwendo na Morgan’ was seriously
assaulted over the weekend.
The assault has been described as politically motivated as Mabika’s songs
are pro-Tsvangirai and hard-hitting against the ageing Mugabe.
SWAfrica Radio