Missing activist Nabanyama, widow sues Attorney General

RadioVop

15 April 2011

A Zimbabwe widow, Patrica Nabanyama, is suing the Attorney General for refusing to prosecute suspected killers of his husband who was abducted 11 years ago under mysterious circumstances from his Nketa home here for his involvement with the mainstream Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Patrick Nabanyama wants the AG, Johannes Tomana to prosecute six surviving war veterans accused of kidnapping and murdering her husband.

Nabanyama was abducted in front of his family in June 2000. Nine war veterans were implicated in the abduction and disappearance of Nabanyama who was also a polling agent of the current Education Minister, David Coltart.

The nine war veterans implicated are Stanley Ncube, Ephraim Moyo, Julius Sibanda, Edward Ndlovu, Howard Ncube, Simon Rwodzi, Cain Nkala, A Mr Moyo and Ngoni as well as the late Cain Nkala were initial arrested in connection with  Nabanyama’s disappearance but were never charged with kidnapping and murder as that offence was covered by the amnesty pronounced by President Robert Mugabe in 2001. Three of these have since died. These are  Nkala, Ndlovu and Ncube.

The MDC activist was declared dead by Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate, Rose Dube last year. However soon after Dube’s declaration Nabanyama’s widow, Patricia Nabanyama through human rights organisation Zimbabwe Victims of Organised Political Violence Trust (ZIVOVT) made an application to Tomana’s office seeking issuance of a certificate that would allow her lawyers to carry out a private prosecution against her husband killers.

But Tomana has since refused to offer her the certificate for private prosecution of her husband’s killers and Patricia is now suing him.

“It’s over a year now and we haven’t got any response from AG’s office on the issuance of this certificate that will allow lawyers to carry out a private prosecution against Patrick’s killers. So Patricia has no other option but to sue the AG’s office. Our lawyers are working on her papers and Tomana will be dragged to court,” said ZIVOVT secretary Bhekitemba Nyathi.

Nyathi said they visited AG’s office several times to seek clarification on this issue but were chased us away. He added that his organisation won’t give up until Nabanyama’s murderers are prosecuted.

When contacted AG Johannes Tomana said: “I am not going to answer that, just write what you want.”