MDC Minister ‘Traumatised’ by Lupane Detention Horror

SW Radio Africa (London)

Irene Madongo

26 April 2011

The Co-Minister of National Healing, Moses Mzila-Ndlovu, says his time spent this month at Lupane Police Station is one of the most horrific and unimaginable experiences for a human being.

Mzila-Ndlovu was arrested on 15 April after police accused him of addressing an ‘illegal’ memorial service for Gukurahundi victims and survivors, at a Roman Catholic Church Mass in Lupane. A Catholic Priest, Father Marko Mkandla, was also arrested for holding the church mass. Last Tuesday the pair appeared at court in Hwange, shackled together with leg irons and guarded by a heavy police presence. They were released on bail.

Mzila-Ndlovu, who is also the deputy secretary general of the faction of the MDC led by Welshman Ncube, says he underwent intense interrogation and was also denied basic necessities such as food or water.

On Tuesday Mzila-Ndlovu told SW Radio Africa that: “I was denied food and water on the Monday that my colleagues from the party came to see me. There was never any food from the police from the day I was put in police cells.” He also spoke of the pain and scars the leg irons inflicted on him. He also said he was still feeling ill.

For decades the government has been suppressing attempts to publicise the Gukurahundi Matabeleland massacres, which were carried out by troops loyal to Robert Mugabe.

Despite his ill-treatment by the state, Mzila-Ndlovu remains determined that the story of the Gukurahundi must be told and those behind the massacres should come forward.

“It is a story that must be told in Zimbabwe. I believe that we cannot bring closure to that case until it is spoken about and until someone steps onto the pedestal and takes responsibility for that,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NewsDay newspaper says that Mkandla was also abused in police custody. He was reportedly stripped in the presence of two female police officers, verbally abused by the police and denied medication for his pneumonia condition.

Mkandla’s lawyers confirmed that he was mistreated. Lizwe Jamela, of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told SW Radio Africa on Monday: “Mr. Mkandla was not taken care of fairly when he was in police custody. He was denied access to legal representation, as the police kept us on a wild goose chase. We only saw him once, on the day he was arrested, and then at court, where he was in leg irons and accompanied by heavily armed police. He told us he had not been given food for four days, just water. He was also detained in isolation throughout the weekend and the public holiday.”

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