Their modus operandi includes abduction, rape, torture, beating and intimidation. Several known perpetrators have been spotted in and around the Nkayi centre area recently.
Victims have narrated how they endured beatings, rapes, abductions and other dehumanising acts at the hands of thethugs who accused them of “selling out” by voting for the opposition parties in the March 2008 general election. Most of the terror was concentrated at Nkayi centre and some sections of Wards 19 and 29. In a pattern revealing the systematic nature of violence, areas leading to Kana Mission such as Dimbamiwa, Matshetshaneni Seshanke and Zenka were also enmeshed in the web of political violence.
Veterans of the 1970s war of independenceare said to have spearheaded the terror campaign withthe support of rogue officers from the Zimbabwe National Army and Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zanu (PF)youths and war collaborators. The Central intelligence Organization provided intelligence and logistical support.
Walter Khumalo, awar veteran who uses Khiwa as his nom de guerre, has led others in and around Nkayi in bashing opposition supporters since 2000. His leadership, currently on the wane, reached its crescendo in the period leading to the infamous June 2008 one man election.
He currently lives in the Tsheli area with his family and travels to Bulawayo quite regularly. The unmarried Alick Macheso, (not the musician) who emerged as one of Khiwa’s most trusted understudies,is the current Zanu (PF) pointman in the area. He resides in Belmont Township in Nkayi.
The other thugs still resident in the area include Norman Ndebele of Matshetshani School in Ward 29 who lives with his wife and six children, Charles Mpofu of Nkayi Primary School, Ellen Mhlanga of Bhuzmill village, Nomagugu Moyo of Ward 29 who is currently dating a Kombi driver and has two kids, Mamkondo a widowed mother of one currently staying in the police compound, Walter Sibanda a local headman in Ward 19 and David Danda Ndlovu who is a Zanu (PF) driver and a kraal-head in Ward 29.
Others named on the Nkayi “roll of shame” include Gwanda-born Tshalibe currently staying at the compounds at local District Administrator’s offices. Tshalibe formed a formidable tag team with a certain Mr Ndebele who hails from Tsholotsho but is being harboured by headman Walter Sibanda in Ward 29. A certain Mr Nkiwane, a married father of four and also a war veteran hailing from the Burombo area in Nkayi was particularly notorious for his cruelty when dealing with political opponents.
Other collaborators in the crimes committed in 2008 included Messrs’ Nkala, Nleya and Nkomo who by virtue of being employees at Nkayi Hospital conspired to deny victims medical access. Local police officers such as Constables Chakanetsa and Gonye and DisPol Dube reportedly stifled the investigation of reported cases.
The people of Nkayi still live in fear as many of those named above, particularly Machesa and Charles Mpofu, move into election mode.The two have already started distributing seed maize and fertilizers in the Nkayi area. In mid-Januarythey carried their Zanu (PF) campaign programme to Bona Resettlement Area.
Post published in: Politics
To hell with these stiff minded and uneducated zanu thugs, shame on them