HARARE - A Zanu (PF) supporter, Lovemore Marenji, has been jailed for 52 years after he was convicted of raping an MDC activist and also the attempted rape of the activists 62 year-old mother-in-law in June 2008. (Pictured: Mutare Prison)
However, some Zanu (PF) supporters who were unhappy with the judgment passed, last week razed to the ground the homestead of the complainants. Narrating the circumstances that have taken place since last year, the husband of the accused (name supplied) said in June of last year, his wife was abducted and taken to a Zanu (PF) torture base. I am an MDC district member in Headlands and the Zanu (PF) supporters felt I was a threat in the area. Fearing for my life, I fled to Mozambique. My wife was the first person to be taken to a Zanu (PF) base where she was raped twice by Lovemore Marenji, he said.
Although he is happy to see the Zanu (PF) rapist behind bars, he said two days after the sentence, his house was burnt by disgruntled Zanu (PF) supporters and he had since made a report at the Headlands Police Station. The Zanu (PF) officials have even given my business stand to Kainos Mhande who works in the Presidents Office, he said. He encouraged other members of the MDC who were victimised in any way last year, to report their cases to the police and make a strong follow up on their cases to see justice taking place. More than 500 MDC supporters were killed and thousands others displaced during the run up to the sham presidential run off in June 2008.