MDC ALLIANCE ASSEMBLY OF WOMEN STATEMENT ON THE ABUSE AND ARREST OF VONGAI TOME AND OTHER LEADERS

We are deeply concerned and disappointed at the same time about the arbitrary arrest of our National Executive member Vongai Tome and Ngoni Mupfuma, a Youth Assembly Executive member on Tuesday when they had gone to court in solidarity with Makomborero Haruzivishe who was sentenced to 14 months for exercising his rights.

What baffles us is that Tome is actually a victim of sexual abuse by one of the police officers who indicently assaulted her.

Nothing was done to this police office dispite the fact that there is evidence in form of videos. We are living in a state that does not care about its citizens and this is so scary especially for us women.

Who is going to protect us? Who is going to listen to our cries? The leadership crisis is deeper than we think as the government is clueless about reviving the economy, thus, they turn to violation of human rights as a way of scaring and silencing us.

We are not going to keep quiet. We demand the release of Vongai Tome and other political leaders as they are not criminals.

Surely Citizens must Converge for Change and end this suffering.

A people’s government is in the making!

TheChangeThatDelievers!

Barbara Gwangwara Tanyanyiwa
AOW Spokesperson