By Promise Dube
Twelve Zanu PF members who were arrested for kidnapping and threatening to kill the wife of an opposition member in Lambamai, Insiza district were granted bail on Monday.
Last week, the 12, who were part of a larger group, stormed Takedza Makombe’s home in Phuthuma B2 village in Lambamai under Chief Jahana, armed with logs and axes.
Makombe is a member of the opposition Zimbabwe Coalition for Peace and Development (ZCPD) party and the mob kidnapped his wife, Juliet Ngwaru (36) and held her hostage for four hours and threatened to kill her. They interrogated her on why the couple had stopped supporting the ruling party since Makombe had been a Zanu PF member.
Before releasing Ngwaru, the mob gave her orders to vacate the piece of land they were given.
Ngwaru then called her husband, who was in Filabusi at the time, seeking to file his candidate nomination papers to be a councillor but was forced to abandon his plans.
Makombe reported the matter to the police and the 12 were arrested on the same day while another 20 or so men including a woman are still at large.
The 12 are Mpofu Tinos (38) – Zanu PF chairperson of the Lambamai branch, Major Sibanda (52) -secretary, Dennis Ndiweni (65) war veterans chairperson, Tinos Madende (73) – chairperson for agriculture, Philip Dliwayo (21), Thabani Ncube (31), Felix Tagwireyi (33), Xolani Sibanda (32), Junior Julias Mhike (22), Mbusi Ndlovu (27), Mandla Ngulube (34) and Evans Maphosa (23).
When they initially appeared before Filabusi Resident Magistrate Abednico Ndebele, the 12 suspects denied the charges and were later granted bail of ZWL$ 100 000 each.
They were told to reside at their given addresses and not to interfere with witnesses, complainants and evidence.
The magistrate also ordered them not to set foot at the complainant’s homestead until the matter is finalised.
Their next court hearing will be on July 3, 2023, at the Tredgold Magistrates Court in Bulawayo.
The state, represented by Shepherd Moyo and Thembelihle Ncube, said around 11 am on June 20, 2023, 33 Zanu PF members stormed Makombe’s homestead singing revolutionary songs and force-marched Ngwaru to one of the accused’s homestead (Tinos Mpofu) while hurling insults at her and labelling her a witch.
The Zanu PF mob blamed Ngwaru and her husband for being sellouts since they had joined an opposition political party arguing that the couple had been given a piece of land by Zanu PF.
The mob threatened to torch the entire homestead and kill them if the couple did not vacate the land given to them by the ruling party within three days, said the state.
The suspects also threatened the couple with starvation, saying they would be removed from government programmes if they continued supporting the opposition party. The mob also forcibly repossessed Zanu PF regalia which was in their home.
Meanwhile, according to court papers, the accused persons complained about the condition of the cells at Filabusi, claiming there were no blankets and they had slept on the cold floor.
