CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) activists Joana Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri have revealed horrific accounts of torture, including being forced to sing war songs and drink each other’s urine by their alleged abductors.
They narrated the ordeal last Tuesday when their trial on
charges of “faking their own abduction in 2019 to invite the attention of the
West” kicked off.
The activists, who are represented by Alec Muchadehama and
Jeremiah Bhamu, are charged alongside another CCC activist Netsai Marova who
has skipped the border.
They deny the charges.
The activists claimed that they were abducted by suspected
state security agents from police cells after their arrest for holding an
unsanctioned demonstration in violation of Covid-19 regulations, and were later
tortured and dumped along Bindura road.
On Tuesday, Mamombe, through her lawyers, narrated her
ordeal at the hands of the alleged abductors after their arrest.
Mamombe said they were taken from Harare central police
station, blindfolded with sacks and driven to an unknown destination.
“The structure (destination) was surrounded with tall grass
such that she could not see any other structure nearby.
“The accused were led into the structure and got to the
back where there was a big dug out pit.
“At that point, captors had an argument among themselves
when one of them suggested that they push them into the pit while others
disagreed, arguing that it was going to result in them breaking their limbs,”
the lawyers submitted.
“They (captors) agreed that the accused persons go down
using a ladder, which was on the sides of the pit.
“It was dark and Mamombe could not see the top of the pit
due to its depth, which she assumed to be roughly 4m deep…”
They were then forced to jog and sing revolutionary songs
while inside the pit.
“They sang and jogged continuously until Mamombe could not
continue anymore,” the lawyers said.
“The persons poured cold water on them.
“While they were shivering at a corner, the other two
persons came down the pit and started assaulting them with open hands and whips
all over their bodies as well as pulling Mamombe’s braids and slapping her.”
Mamombe was made to drink Marova’s urine, while she gave
hers to Chimbiri and Marova drank Chimbiri’s.
They were also made to exchange their stools but Chimbiri
told their captors that she did not feel like defecating.
In a fit of rage, one of the captors tore her black dress
and two others sucked her breasts.
In her account, Chimbiri said: “One of the captors received
a call and they all got out of the pit in a hurry.
“They then returned within a few minutes and assisted them
to get out of the pit.
“They seemed to be reacting to some instructions since they
hurriedly forced us into their vehicle. They drove from the place for some
time, but they could not tell where they were going.
They slowed down their vehicle and pushed them out of the
vehicle.”
The trial is expected to continue tomorrow. Standard
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