This month of August, as Zimbabwe commemorates the death of gallant Zimbabweans who have fought for real change, The Real Change Times news team travelled to Bulawayos Nketa 7 suburb to interview Patricks widow, Patricia.
I just pray that I will be able to find the remains of my husband so that we will afford a proper burial for him, said a tearful 54-year-old Mrs Nabanyama.
Narrating the final moments with her husband, Patricia said on the afternoon of 19 June 2000, a gang of about 10 armed Zanu (PF) men driving a white Mazda truck with no number plates, descended on their house and forcefully took Patrick away.
They dragged him out of the house, beating him all over the body with their weapons. The goon squad bundled him into their vehicle before
driving off at a high speed.
All the seven children, except one who
was at school, saw the abduction, said
Mrs Nyabanyama.
It was around 4pm on 19 June 2000
when three men armed with a gun
knobkerries and iron bars knocked at
our home. The other seven remained
outside. We were all in the house but
one of my daughters was at school.
The kids answered the door and let
the men in not knowing that they did
not have any good intentions.
The three said they wanted to ask
Patrick questions so he had to go with
them to their Zanu (PF) office in town.
This sparked a heated argument as my
husband vehemently refused to go.
They then forced him out, beating
him all over the body. When we
followed them outside we saw them
forcefully removing his jacket as
it was very cold on the day.
When we went outside the gate
we realised there were more men,
all with weapons who immediately
surrounded Patrick. Less than
a kilometre from our house as I
followed closely with the kids on my
heels a white Mazda vehicle suddenly
pulled up ahead of us and stopped
in front of the group immediately.
Ngoni, the driver, jumped out of
the vehicle and handcuffed Patrick
before they shoved him in the back
of the vehicle and speedily drove
off, she said.
That was the last time we saw him.
We promptly made a police report
but to no avail as it took the police
two weeks to act after a public
demonstration by MDC members
who demanded an investigation into
the abduction and disappearance of
my husband.
Patrick Nabanyama was the district
organising secretary for Nketa and
an MDC election agent in the 2000
parliamentary elections.
The police investigation led to the
arrest of seven men, Cain Mathema,
Howard Ncube, Stanely Ncube,
Julius Sibanda, one Ngoni, the
driver, Ephraim Moyo, one Ndlovu
and one Samrods.
The men claimed they were war
veterans and Zanu (PF) activists.
The seven agreed that they had
abducted Patrick but said they had
released him on the very day.
Four of them were later brought
to court but were acquitted at the
Bulawayo High Court on 1 May
2001, she said.
During the trial they said they had
released Patrick on the very day
they abducted and could not be held
accountable for his disappearance.
They even accused me during
the trial of travelling to South
Africa fortnightly to see him as he
was faking his disappearance, said a
distraught Mrs Nabanyama.
She said she had never in her life
travelled to South Africa or any other
country.
My family just wants transparency
and an objective judgement so that
we can have a decent burial for my
husband once his body is located,
she said.
It pains me to note that my husbands
killers are also my neighbours,
she said.
Three of the Zanu (PF) murderers have
since died while one has gone blind.
Life for the Nabanyama family is very
difficult as she struggles to feed and
clothe her kids and pay rates.
I owe a lot in arrears and am
struggling to pay fees for the two
kids who are still in school. I have
even failed to get a birth certificate
for the last born who is now in Grade
Six because the registrar-generals
office wants the fathers death
certificate and for the same reason
I have failed to benefit from the
employers welfare fund.
This brave woman remains
an active MDC activist in Nketa
and is a member of the district womens assembly. The Real Change Times
Post published in: News