MDC Alliance has claimed that 30 of its members have fled
from their homes in fear of falling victim to the alleged on-going crackdown of
opposition activists in the city.
In recent weeks several politicians, activists and citizens
have been arrested, with others beingsubjected to alleged torture by suspected
State security agents on charges of orchestrating the 31 July protest.
MDC Alliance provincial spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza
told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that they feared for their members’
safety.
“We have so far drawn a list of about 30 cadres who are no
longer living at their homes for fear of being abducted, tortured or detained.
Some are contemplating moving their children to safer places, while others are
bogged down with repairs to damaged premises,” he said.
Chirowodza, whose home was also recently raided, said the
party was now planning on the way forward.
“As such the provincial administration committee will meet
soon to set the agenda of the next Bulawayo provincial executive meeting. This
is going to be one item on the agenda meeting so I cannot disclose or pre-empt
anything.”
He said for those who had fled since the crackdown begun,
no one had returned home yet.
Takunda Madzana, one
of the activists who was allegedly abducted, tortured and dumped in a bush,
said he no longer felt safe.
“For as long as we are still under the same government
where the abductors are not arrested, I will not feel safe and chances are high
these people will come back. I am not safe at all, which is why I had to seek a
safe place away from my house,” Madzana said.
This comes at a time Matabeleland Forum, a grouping of
civic society here, on Wednesday issued a statement indicating its concern “on
the harassment of human rights defenders and journalists….”
The Forum further implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
government to immediately release all citizens arrested for exercising their
right to demonstrate.
The Forum also appealed to the Southern African Development
Community, the African Union and the United Nations to put in place urgent
diplomatic interventions to avert the current alleged human rights abuses in
the country. Daily News
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