The Standard
17 October 2010
By Nqobani Ndlovu
BULAWAYO — A human rights organisation representing victims of political violence has written to the Attorney General (AG) demanding a fresh inquest and prosecution of six surviving war veterans accused of kidnapping and murdering MDC activist Patrick Nabanyama in 2000.
The Zimbabwe Victims of Organised Violence Trust (ZIVOVT) is also demanding that the AG’s office retrieve past court records — which have miraculously disappeared — for the prosecution of the accused war veterans.
Nabanyama, who was a polling agent for the Minister of Education, Sport, Art and Culture David Coltart in the volatile June 2000 parliamentary polls, disappeared after he was kidnapped by suspected state security agents and war veterans from his home on June 19 the same year.
Nine war veterans — Cain Nkala, Stanley Ncube, Ephraim Moyo, Julius Sibanda, Edward Ndlovu, Howard Ncube, Simon Rwodzi, a Mr Moyo and Ngoni were arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Nabanyama.
They were acquitted in 2001.
Nkala was later kidnapped and killed by suspected state security agents after he indicated that he was ready to spill the beans as to what had actually happened to Nabanyama.
Edward Ndlovu and Howard Ncube are also late.
Nkala was buried at the National Heroes’ Acre.
ZIVOVT officials told The Standard last week that they were now pushing for a fresh inquest and prosecution of the surviving war veterans accused of kidnapping Nabanyama.
“We went to look for the court records last week but we could not get them,†said Bekithemba Nyathi, ZIVOVT information officer. “The case was not concluded but surprisingly the records have miraculously disappeared. Court officials have told us that they sent the records to the archives.â€
He added, “We have written to the AG (Johannes Tomana) seeking the records and demanding a fresh inquest and prosecution of the accused.â€
The human rights organisation is chaired by Patience, Nabanyama’s widow.
She said, “We are pursuing the case with a view to prosecute the surviving war veterans. Our agenda is to pursue justice.
“As a family and organisation, we want the arrest and prosecution of the surviving war veterans who kidnapped my husband. We will not rest until there is justice…we want to know where they took him and why they took him.â€
Attorney General Johannes Tomana could not be reached for comment last week.
The MDC-T has said over 200 of its supporters were killed by suspected security agents in the run-up to the June 2008 violent elections. The party last year forwarded names of the victims and those of the suspected murderers to the AG’s office for prosecution but up to now no one has been charged.
ZIVOVT, an organisation that seeks to assist victims of politically-motivated violence in Zimbabwe was launched recently in Bulawayo.
It brings together all victims of political violence regardless of their political affiliation or gender.
Critics say the formation of the ZIVOVT shows that victims of political violence are frustrated by the government process of justice, national healing and reconciliation which has hitherto not yielded any results.
Victims of political violence, civic groups and the two MDC formations have however said that justice is a prerequisite to a successful national healing process for a country.
But President Robert Mugabe recently called for a blanket amnesty to all perpetrators of past violence saying arresting perpetrators would derail efforts of the inclusive government to embark on a national healing and reconciliation process.