Ncube was a director in the MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube, the Industry and Commerce minister in the GNU.
Maxwell Ncube was abducted on August 6 after an altercation with Zanu (PF) thugs at a nearby shopping centre in Malamulela village in Zhombe. His body was found on August 9 half buried in a shallow grave, his head covered with a sack.
His wife said she raised the alarm immediately after his abduction, but a follow-up by villagers with the assistance of the police did not yield anything until the discovery of his body.
MDC spokesman Kurauone Chihwayi told The Zimbabwean that his body was yet to go for post mortem in Bulawayo, a week after his body was discovered.
"The body has been in the custody of the police in Zhombe," Chihwayi said. "Following numerous follow ups by the MDC officials and the family, the police have been giving numerous excuses ranging from lack of fuel and breakdowns of their transport fleet for their failure.
This is despite uncountable offers by the party to assist with the transport." Chihwayi said the MDC found it difficult to believe that the transport excuses were genuine after the decline of party assistance.
"It is curious that the police could not treat the matter with urgency that it deserves," Chihwayi said. "We find their deceitful actions not only subjecting the body of our deceased member to torture after death as Zanu (PF) supporters did during his life but also an insult to our sacred cultural value of respecting the dead.
"The MDC is concerned that our member, who suffered at the hands of Zanu (PF) on multiple occasions in his life, has been murdered and his body left to lie in anguish the same despicable way as other victims during the height of the Gukurahundi massacres."
Police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka said the force was aware of the murder of a villager in Zhombe, but professed total ignorance about the pussy footing with regards to his post mortem. "All I know is that investigations into that matter are underway," he said.
Post published in: News