Manyere was arrested with two opposition activists: Ghandi Mudzingwa,
former personal aide to Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) and now Prime Minister, and Chris Dlamini, the
party’s chief of security. They were all accused of training militias
in neighbouring Botswana to topple President Robert Mugabe’s
government.
Manyere and the two MDC members were released on 17 April, but 48 hours
later the two MDC members were again arrested and the police are
actively seeking Manyere. On the run, he told IRIN his story.
"When I was kidnapped by state security agents on December 13, 2008, I
did not think I would ever see my family again because of the manner
that I was abducted by the armed men.
"I was in my home town, Norton, about 40km south of Harare, when I
received a call from an anonymous caller who said he needed to see me
for urgent business. When I arrived at the scene, two trucks drove up
and sandwiched my car.
Men brandishing AK-47 rifles and pistols jumped out, dragged me out of
my vehicle, handcuffed and blindfolded me, before throwing me into the
back of one of the trucks
"Men brandishing AK-47 rifles and pistols jumped out, dragged me out of
my vehicle, handcuffed and blindfolded me, before throwing me into the
back of one of the trucks. They forced me to lie down and face
downwards."
"While the state security agents were driving me around, they started
torturing me mentally and emotionally; they did this by playing loud
music by different local musicians.
"One song is titled, ‘You thought you were a hero’, another was a
funeral dirge about how death is a final and lonely journey, while in
another song the message is that jails are a place where people die.
"While in solitary confinement I would only be given two litres of
water a week and some strange leaves, which I had no option but to eat.
I saw fellow inmates who were like skeletons at Chikurubi.
"In between, I would be tortured through assaults. When they told me
that I had been recruiting people to undergo military training, I told
them they were mad, crazy.
"When they said they had found weapons at my house, I told them the
arms were theirs, and that they were trying to set me up. They were
riled and even beat me up some more.
"We should ensure that anybody who violates human rights should get a taste of their own medicine through the courts.
"It will take time to forgive or forget."
IRIN
Post published in: Politics