Posted on 02/08/2002 2:09:14 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Three Zimbabwean opposition MPs campaigning for next month's elections have been abducted, beaten and tortured for two days by supporters of President Robert Mugabe, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says.
The three were paraded, injured and bleeding, wearing handcuffs in front of the police station in Nkayi on Thursday while 37 other opposition party officials and supporters were also held, the MDC says.
The incident marks an escalation of political violence before the poll. Until now, the ruling ZANU-PF's militia has reserved its attacks for less prominent opponents. The MDC also says at least four party supporters have been beaten to death this week, and a new wave of political terror is sweeping Matabeleland in southern Zimbabwe, a key area of opposition support.
The three politicians - Abednico Bhebhe, MP for Nkayi, Peter Nyoni, MP for Victoria Falls, and Joel Gabuza, MP for Binga - led a convoy to distribute leaflets for Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader who is challenging Mr Mugabe in the presidential poll on March 9 and 10. The tyres of their cars were shot at by soldiers and they were attacked by Mr Mugabe's youth militia working with the army, local residents said. Mr Bhebhe was among those seriously injured, the residents said.
The MPs and other MDC officials were eventually taken to the Nkayi police station, where they were interrogated and held overnight on Wednesday. Some of the MDC members were taken to the local hospital on Thursday and returned to the police station.
"It is frightening," one resident said. "We don't know what is going to happen to them. The army is here, the youth militia is here and they are beating so many people."
Police in Nkayi said the MPs were arrested for carrying dangerous weapons such as catapults, knobkerries (walking-sticks with knobs at the end) and stones. A police spokesman denied that the politicians were beaten.
In May last year Mr Bhebhe was abducted and beaten unconscious in Nkayi. Although many people witnessed the daylight assault, no-one was arrested.
"Abednico is one of our best MPs and he has been planning this return to Nkayi, which is in his constituency, for some time," said David Coltart, the opposition MP for Bulawayo South. "He felt that this car rally, as he called it, would give him safety in numbers to be able to campaign for Morgan Tsvangirai. We are very concerned about him and all those with him."
Mr Coltart accused the army and ruling party militia of beginning "a new wave of terror" across rural Matabeleland. This week two MDC supporters were reportedly beaten to death in the Matabeleland towns of Lupane and Tsholotsho.
Another MDC MP, David Mpala, was abducted and stabbed two weeks ago. He is still recovering from the attack.
The first four members of the Commonwealth team who will oversee the elections received government accreditation on Thursday. Eventually they will lead about 50 observers.
The Guardian
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Zimbabwe farmer William Gau arrives at an emergency care center in Harare with multiple injuries after he was alledgedly attacked by two suspected war veterans on his farm in the Harare South area, Thursday, Feb 7, 2002. Thursday's attack followed an incident Wednesday in which 30 suspected government supporters trashed his workers' compound and badly injured several of his workers. (AP Photo)
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I know... but I'm just frustrated with this.
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