CATALOGUE OF ABDUCTIONS, ARRESTS & TORTURE IN ZIMBABWE SINCE AUGUST 2023

10th August 2024

CATALOGUE OF RECENT CASES OF ABDUCTIONS SINCE AUGUST 2023

1. On 27 August 2023, Councillor Nelson Mukwenha was abducted from his home at midnight and badly tortured and injected with an unknown substance.

2. On 2 September 2023, Councillor Womberaishe Nhende was abducted, badly tortured and injected with an unknown substance.

3. On 24 October 2023, MP Hon. James Chidhakwa was abducted, badly tortured and injected with an unknown substance.

4. On 1 November 2023, MP Hon. Takudzwa Ngadziore was abducted, tortured and injected with an unknown substance by armed men who were well-identified by names and occupation as state agents.

4. On 11 November 2023, activist pastor Tapfumanei Masaya was abducted, and on 12 November 2023, his brutally tortured body was found on the outskirts of Harare.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-67419968

The modus operandi of the men identified in Hon. Ngadziore’s abduction is identical to the other abductions conducted by unidentified assailants.

CATALOGUE OF RECENT NOTABLE CASES OF ARRESTS OF ACTIVISTS

1.     Job Sikhala spent 595 days in pre-trial detention (June 2022 to 30 January 2024)

2.     Jacob Ngarivhume spent 8 months in prison (April – 12 December 2023)

CATALOGUE OF RECENT NOTABLE CASES OF ARRESTS OF ACTIVISTS IN THE LATEST CRACKDOWN, AHEAD OF THE SADC’S 44^TH ORDINARY SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT SCHEDULED FOR 17^TH AUGUST 2024, AS OF 07/08/2024

In the latest crackdown, ahead of the SADC’s 44^th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government scheduled for 17^th August 2024, as of 07/08/2024, approximately 160 people have been arrested and tortured, including opposition political party members, activists and human rights defenders.

The Avondale 78	including CCC interim party leader Jameson Timba	Avondale - Harare	16/06/2024
5 Members	The National Democratic Working Group	Kuwadzana - Harare	29/06/2024
5 Members	The Community Voices Zimbabwe media organisation	Gokwe	03/07/2024
44 ZINASU student activists	Including Emmanuel Sitima at their annual conference	Belvedere - Harare	24/07/2024
Namatai Kwekweza	human rights activist, feminist, and constitutionalism advocate	Robert Mugabe International Airport	31/07/2024
Samuel Gwenzi	Councillor – City of Harare	Robert Mugabe International Airport	31/07/2024
Vusumuzi Moyo	Artist, Sound Engineer and activist	Robert Mugabe International Airport	31/07/2024
Robert Chere	Secretary General of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe - ARTUZ	Robert Mugabe International Airport.	31/07/2024
Bruce Moyo	Councillor – Bulawayo City	Bulawayo	01/08/2024
Emmanuel Sitima	President of the Zimbabwe National Students Union - ZINASU	Robert Mugabe International Airport.	02/08/2024
Kelvin Gonde and 11 other activists	Transform Zimbabwe activists	Mutare	02/08/2024
Bishop Kevin Nyamakanga	The Zimbabwe Intercessors Movement.	Harare	02/08/2024
Jacob Ngarivhume	Transform Zimbabwe leader	Mutare	02/08/2024
John Houghton and 12 other activists	MP for Kariba (CCC)	Kariba	02/08/2024
Brian Nyoni	CCC activist	Hwange	03/08/2024
Tineyi Munetsi	CCC activist	Hwange	03/08/2024

We also note with concern the deployment of army tanks and personnel in Chitungwiza and some parts of Harare in the week commencing 5th August 2024.

Inserted by Information & Publicity Department