ZANU PF youths Tichaona Chiminya, and fellow activist Talent Mabika, were brutally murdered when ZANU PF state agents Joseph Mwale and Kainos ‘Kitsiyatota’ Zimunya petrol bombed their election campaign vehicle during an ambush. Timothy, who claims to be the son of the late Tichaona Chiminya, says on the 8th April this year a group of ZANU PF youths went to the home of Esnath Dhliwayo, a well known MDC supporter in Glen Norah C. Chanting provocative party songs, the youths demanded to see Timothy.
Dhliwayo told Newsreel on Wednesday that when the youths realized that Timothy was not there, and in fact did not stay there, they burned down her house. She lost all her property during the blaze and expressed disappointment that despite a coalition government in place ZANU PF youths continue to engage in acts of violence. She added; There is no unity in this unity government. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition newsletter The Daily Catalyst had issued a report saying the following evening nine youths tried to assault Timothy while on his way to Dhliwayos house accusing him of selling out by joining the MDC. He however escaped and is in hiding. Last week on Thursday Timothys neighbours say the youths again gathered at his house around 3am in the morning demanding to see him, while chanting provocative songs.
Maria Mache, the Information and Communications Officer with the Crisis Coalition, told Newsreel that. as you can see there is a high level of impunity in Zimbabwe. As long as the issues of transitional justice are not addressed the perpetrators will still think that it is okay and it is normal for them to hunt down people and to threaten them. Mache also spoke about the common pattern of persecution where the families of murdered activists are targeted. She said when MDC activist Tonderai Ndira was murdered, his wife was followed around soon after by state security agents. The families of other murdered activists, like Gift Tandare and Better Chokururama, were also harassed. This pattern of intimidation is captured in the report Torture Cries from Goromonzi produced by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.
Meanwhile the widow of murdered activist Tichaona Chiminya told Newsreel from London that although she sympathized with the plight of Timothy Chiminya she questioned his claims that he was Chiminyas son. Adella Mutero Chiminya, who now stays in the UK with children Blessed and Faith, told us there have been many instances of people claiming to be Tichaonas children. Two of them claimed asylum in the UK and I only found out from social services here.
Post published in: News