Pindula

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human rights lawyers and doctors representing the MDC Alliance activists who were abducted and tortured last month have accused Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe of lying and have demanded a reaction from him, Newsday reports.

This was revealed in a pre-suit notice letter from lawyers from Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners which was addressed to Kazembe Kazembe which reads in part:

It is now more apparent from your statement that no investigations are actually being carried out except an active exercise by the State (led by yourself) to seek to discredit the accounts of the victims of the enforced disappearance on behalf of the political party you represent in government

This has ceased to be a legitimate investigation and has become an overzealous public relations exercise on your part at the expense of the victims. This is deplorable to say the least

Your statements are, therefore, disingenuous and wholly divorced from the truth and seek to achieve a sinister motive.

One also wonders if you are an expert witness who can authoritatively interpret and speak on medical reports.

It is, in any event, a conclusion that is wholly inconsistent with the medical records, including the medical records relating to sexual assaults, conducted by the government medical doctor(s), and whose results have already been produced despite your pretence that these are still pending

The lawyers also vowed to subpoena Kazembe Kazembe to testify at the trial:

“We are placing you on notice, that should the State choose not to call you as a witness, we reserve the right on behalf of the three victims to have you subpoenaed to testify and be cross-examined on these outrageous and hurtful statements.”

The also said they will sue Kazembe Kazembe if he doesn’t give in to their demands:

“In the event that you should ignore these reasonable demands, we reserve the right on behalf of our clients to seek all legal remedies available to us and our clients in terms of the Constitution and other applicable laws”

Kazembe Kazembe addressed a press conference a few weeks ago and said the trio faked their abductions.