Government has denied its involvement in the alleged abductions of the MDC Alliance trio of Joana Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova.
Addressing journalists in Harare today, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said there were inconsistencies in the account of events and preliminary findings from a government sanctioned investigation into the abduction case.
“Firstly there is very consistent contamination of the various crime scenes and the entire chain of evidence relevant to this case by MDC Alliance leaders, activists and several officials of foreign Embassies in Harare who gained access thereto ahead of investigating authorities.
“Secondly, the complainants for a long time after they were ‘discovered’ at Muchapondwa Village near Bindura where they claimed to have been dumped after their ordeal , refused outright to give their statements to the investigating authorities feigning incapacity due to the torture they claimed to have endured.” said Kazembe.
Kazembe said the fact that Chimbiri comes from a village not far from Muchapondwa makes it unsustainable.
“Ironically, Cecelia Chimbiri hails from a village not far from where they claim to have been dumped. This makes it unsustainable for them to pretend not to know where they were, even the direction of Harare from there, at that material time. They would feign confusion and hysteria at the mere sight of a Policeman.” he said.
He said statements from the trio showed glaring signs of rehearsal and possible coaching which may not stand up to rigorous cross examination.
The Minister said there was no relationship between the medical examination carried by a Government medical Officer and the injuries they claim to have suffered.
“Thirdly, There is no relationship whatsoever between the findings of the medical examination that was carried out on them by a Government Medical Officer in the presence of two Human Rights doctors of their choosing on 15 May 2020 and the injuries they claim to have suffered as a result of being subjected to beatings with ‘open palms, booted feet, fists, rifle butts and other blunt objects…….and razor blades on their backs’.”
Kazembe alleges that the abduction and torture claim seek to position the trio for an American Scholarship.
He said the Government is determined to get to the bottom of the saga and expose if it is fake and ensure that it will not happen again.
