Zimbabwe government pokes holes in MDC trio abduction claim

The Zimbabwe government today said preliminary investigations into the alleged abduction of three MDC Alliance youth members last month pointed to a stage managed event as there were glaring inconsistencies in their narrative of events.

The trio, Joanna Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova allege that they were abducted and tortured by unknown state operatives last month after participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in Warren Park.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe said investigations into the case had so far revealed several inconsistencies.

He said, for instance, technical evidence at hand showed that the women were still moving around Harare hours after the alleged abduction.

“The most compelling discrepancy is in the analysis of the technical evidence available to the investigation concerning the trio’s movements from 12 May 2020 up to mid-morning on 14 May 2020.

“This evidence, which is irrefutable shows very clearly that the three converged somewhere in Harare in the morning of 13 May 2020, drove along Samora Machel Avenue to Warren Park where they spent just under two hours and then drove back together to the Harare CBD via Rugare, Lochinvar and Harare Kopje.

“The evidence does not place any of them on Samora Machel Avenue between Warren Park and Harare CBD or at either of the two roadblocks at National Sports Stadium and the Harare Showgrounds where they claim to have been abducted,” he said.

“The evidence also places the trio somewhere in the Kopje area around the vicinity of the Fidelity Life Towers before they moved to the vicinity of Advocates Chambers in Old Mutual Building where Chamisa’s private offices are incidentally located. They spent substantial unexplained time in both locations.”

From Advocates Chambers the women visited several other places including Cecilia’s residence in the avenues, Belgravia and Fidelity Life Towers for the second time around 21:39 hours.

“These movements are taking place long after they claimed to have been abducted and after they also claimed to have left their phones in Joanna Mamombe’s parked and locked car,” he said.

Police stationed at both roadblocks along Samora Machel Avenue have all testified to not seeing the women on the day in question.

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