By Ray Nkosi | The Three MDC-T founder members who were last year convicted of killing a ZRP cop Petros Mutedza, are being held in dark cells at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, ZimEye.com has learnt.
The three, Last Maengehama and Tungamirai Madzokere and Yvonne Musarura are said to be staying in a section of Chikurubi Maximum Prison called FB1, where they are being ‘tortured’ daily because of the inhuman treatment they endure.
According to Prison officers at Chikurubi who can’t be named the section has no running water and electricity where the three spend the whole day under lock and key.
“ This section has no access to natural light since it is all concrete right round that is , floors, walls, to the top, there are neither windows nor air vents,” said the officers.
“They are being allowed outside these tiny cells for only 30 minutes a day. These 30 minutes are time they take a bath, exercise, wash their clothes and blankets, and flash their toilets.
“Most of the time they are in total darkness as electricity is rare to come by”.
Maengehama, Madzokere and Musarurwa are serving a 20 jail term for murder.
Their party has, however, indicated that it was going to appeal against the sentence.
See below account by Albert Matapo;
By The President of UCAD Green Party of Zimbabwe
Attention Everyone
We are all aware that Last Maengehama, Tungamirai Madzokere and Yvonnie Musarurwa were wrongfully convicted and sentenced to 20 years in Prison with hard labour by the ruthless Zanu Judge Justice Bhunu for the murder of a Glen View Policeman. To add salt to injury, l am reliably informed of the following (This is 100% true):
1) Last Maengehama and Tungamirai Madzokere are being kept in a section of Chikurubi Maximum Prison called FB1.
2) They are being kept in penale blocks which are 4m long by 1.4m wide.
3) This section has no access to natural light since it is all concrete right round ie floor, walls, top. There are neither windows nor air vents.
4) These innocent souls are being regarded as terrorists and so are being kept in these cells for 23 and half hours a day, until when can they be living like this? They are being allowed outside these tiny cells for only 30 minutes a day. This 30 minutes is time they take a bath, exercise, wash their clothes and blankets, flash their toilets, etc
5) Most of the time they are in total darkness as electricity is rare to come by, remember no natural light can enter. The darkness in there is one that can be cut by a knife. One cannot tell whether is day or night when inside. When inside even if it is hot outside but inside is very cold.
6) This is the same section where there is Gumbura and team. These guys are therefore staying alongside Gumbura and team.
7) Each man stays in his own cell meaning there is no social interraction at all. In total there are only 11 cells there. What it means is that out of all the thousands of prisoners at Chikurubi Max Prison (about 4000) Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere are being regarded the worst criminals. Is this proper to people who never committed a crime?
8) The section was meant only for those who are awaiting to be condemned (killed) ie on death penault. Psychologically these guys are waiting to be killed. It is actually the condemn section of this prison. The machine which is used to kill people is just above them. On their side is what is called a Vacuum room which handles dead bodies of those who would have been executed.
8) This is the section where Dumiso Dabengwa and the now late Lookout Masuku were kept, Kevin Woods and team, Simon Mann, Albert Matapoand team, the now late Ndabaningi Sithole, etc were once kept.
9) Kevin Woods in 1994 challenged through the Courts the legality of being kept there. The Supreme Court ruled that the section was unfit for human habitation.
10) l, Albert Matapo also took the regime to Magistrate court over the same issue citing the Supreme Court ruling of 1994, the matter was heard before Magistrate Morgan Nemadire who ruled that it was a violation of the law and l was subsequently removed from there after staying there for 18 months. This is one place where it is so easy for these ruthless Zanu people to kill inmates by poisoning or other means.
My questions to all of you now are; why is the media quiet about this? Why are the opposition politicians (democrats), Lawyers for human rights and everyone else quiet about this? Zimbabweans were quiet when l was there because they cared not about me who was being accused of wanting to remove Mugabe by force, what about these who were convicted of false charges?
May something be done to save these souls. This is cruelity at its best. I suffered a lot while l was being held at this section. One hardly gets enough fresh air to breathe. Guys this is the worst punishment one can ever receive. It is too traumatic an experience. I hope people will take to the streets for these guys.
Albert Matapo.