Thousand victims kidnapped by Zanu PF militia

The wounded and homeless victims went missing on Monday night from the opposition party’s secret political nests in the populous Mandava Township, prompting the provincial party leadership to send out late night panic alerts. 

MDC chairman of Midlands South province, Sicino Pavazhira said his party supporters were shoved into government trucks at gun point a few hours after talking to them over the phone. 

Pavazhira had phoned them to arrange a meeting that night to explain to them the reasons behind the party’s sudden withdrawal from the Presidential run off elections which was scheduled for 27 June.  

Their phones are off and no one is sure of where they were taken to, the only information we have from people staying near their shelters is that they were taken away in government trucks, said Pavazhira in a telephone interview from Zvishavane. 

The missing victims had run away from Zanu PF persecution in the surrounding rural areas. 

We have no doubt that Zanu PF thugs kidnapped them and we are worried about their safety as they can easily vanish without trace because the media was not giving attention to political incidents in small towns or rural areas, said Pavazhira. 

Pavazhira who contested the senatorial post in Mberengwa, but lost it to Zanu PF stalwart, Richard Hove, is operating from underground after being forced to abandon his home at Mataga Growth Point in Mberengwa. 

The Zvishavane mass kidnappings occurred hours after police in Harare raided MDC’s headquarters. MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the police took away party computers and arrested 60 limping victims of Zanu PF violence.Meanwhile reports emanating from Midlands’ rural district of Mberengwa say families with relatives working in South Africa were being targeted by ravenous Zanu PF thugs, scavenging for basic commodities like sugar, tinned foods, soap and salt.

Known Zanu PF functionaries stunned Mataruse families in Mberengwa when they arrived in two trucks to loot scarce food parcels from them, a few hours after receiving the groceries from their two sons working in South Africa. 

My mother was beaten up badly by these people, before stealing their food which was supposed to last the families up to December, said one of the sons who requested anonymity.