A former Zanu PF lawmaker, who was allegedly abducted and tortured by state security agents when Robert Mugabe was removed from office last year, claims that ruling party activists have lied to the Kgalema Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry about the killing of six civilians in Harare this year soon after Zimbabwe’s harmonized elections.
Shadreck Mashayamombe, who once represented the party in Harare South constituency and contested the July 30 parliamentary election and lost to President Emmerson Mnangwagwa’s son, Tongai, told the Commission on Wednesday that “Zanu PF coaches people to come here and tell lies all the time in order to protect the status quo”.
He claimed that one of the people accusing him of distributing alcoholic beverages to protesters on August 1 before members of the Zimbabwe National Army allegedly killed six innocent civilians, was “in fact a person who wanted thousands of dollars from me and is a well-known trouble maker.”
He said the activist, Shelia Mutsvanu, “is the one who once unaddressed infront of the United States ambassador in Mutare, urinated at the entrance of the Daily News when the newspaper wrote somethings she thought was bad about then President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF in Manicaland. She is the same person who was used by Didymus Mutasa for youths to attack other Zanu PF followers.
“She also extorted $15,000 from me claiming that life was tough and she was under intense security threat and had left for Botswana saying CIO (Central Intelligence Organization) agents, war veterans and also members of the Police Homicide Division were looking for her. I said you (Mujati) also know the problems that I encountered. I had no money. I have Facebook messages between Mujati and Shelia asking me to assist her. Mujati is there you can call her to come and testify confirming what I’m saying. She indicated that CIOs, Kudzi Chipanga, army and me wanted to kill her.”
Mashayamombe claimed that his name was mentioned by Mutsvanu following “my refusal to give her money she was demanding.
“… She is being used by Zanu PF as a thug to pit opponents. These are people who are coming to give testimony here in an effort cause divisions leading to the elimination of the opposition. So, some people have taken advantage of this commission in order to lie for their own benefit. We do not want to say much about Zanu PF but surely if people are failing to stop what they are doing, they are putting some of us in a corner in which were can say what we do not want to say.”
Mutsvanu, Mujati and Mutasa were not available for comment.
He said he had serious wounds from the past. “On the day when Mugabe wrote a letter of his resignation, I was abducted in broad daylight at Rainbow Towers. For more than five hours I was tortured by state security agents who were using live electric cables. Up to now I can’t sit for several hours as my feet swell. It did not stop there as they demanded that I should surrender all the money I had. They took a safe that had $50,000 from my house which they were given by my young brother and wife while they were still torturing me using live electric cables.”
Mashayamombe broke down when he noted that he was left with nothing and the ruling party still wants to finish him off. “Now I have a lot of debts as they took away all the money I was generating from my car importation business. I’m being taken to court as some people had paid for cars before all my money was stolen by these agents.
“They claim that I was too close to Mugabe. They even went to my home and took away 30 suites and an assortment of shoes. They also stabbed my young brother with a certain object to the extent that the scar he has is a life-time mark. They are even after my business. They want me to remain with nothing, nothing.”
He claimed that he was also abducted once again in June and ordered to stop contesting the elections against President Mnangagwa’s son. “I’m facing serious security threats and maybe this is the last time you will see me alive as some of us are being hunted.”
The hearings continue tomorrow with no clear indication whether Nelson Chamisa will appear before the Commission.