According to the Citizens Coalition for Change party, a Zimbabwean activist who was taken by force on Saturday while campaigning near Harare has been discovered deceased. This is the second instance of an opposition party member being forcibly taken in recent weeks.
According to the party, Tapfumaneyi Masaya was forcefully taken into a vehicle by unidentified individuals while promoting the CCC’s candidate for the upcoming byelections on December 9th.
Promise Mkwananzi, the spokesperson for the CCC, informed Reuters on Tuesday that Masaya had been subjected to torture and was later abandoned on the outskirts of Harare.
His body was later moved to a mortuary at Parirenyatwa hospital, about 3 miles (5km) from central Harare, where it was identified by CCC members who had been searching for him, Mkwananzi said.
The events could not be verified independently by Reuters.
Zimbabwe has a significant past of enforced disappearances and fatalities of political advocates, tracing back to the 1980s. The opposing party has frequently charged the governing Zanu-PF party of playing a role in the mistreatment and demise of its advocates.
The abduction and murder of Masaya occurred just two weeks after CCC representative Takudzwa Ngadziore was also abducted, tortured, and left 30 miles (50km) outside of Harare by armed individuals. He managed to survive the ordeal.
According to authorities, an inquiry was initiated on Monday following the discovery of a body in the area where Masaya was reportedly found by the CCC. However, the victim’s identity has not yet been confirmed.
On Tuesday, a representative from the police department named Paul Nyathi informed Reuters that there have been no new developments. Mkwananzi stated, “We implore the police to carry out their duties and make sure that these kidnappers are swiftly and efficiently held accountable for their actions.”
The opposition parties in Zimbabwe have been urging for a new election after President Emmerson Mnangagwa won a second term in August. The leader of the CCC, Nelson Chamisa, referred to the election as a “massive deception”. Zanu-PF has refuted these allegations of fraud.
Source: theguardian.com
