Oregon(ZimEye)A US tourist visiting Zimbabwe was arrested before he was to meet Vice President Joice Mujuru, then made to endure a gruelling four days in the Harare remand prison and later deported without a charge.
Paul Sivley, who is also a photographer, hoped to meet Joice Mujuru and other local women of repute, power and influence “in order to highlight accomplishments of Zimbabwean women.”
But after successful interviews with only 3 women, Sivley met the wrath of the CIO and senior law enforcement agents as he encountered unfair arrest, illegal detention, the denial of medication and other basic rights and finally deportation. He was kept in a room and interrogated for hours before they took all his belongings including his camera and laptop.
Joice Mujuru has in recent months come under watch of the CIO after top secret wikileaks cables revealed she went behind her boss Robert Mugabe and engaged in secret meetings with a top US envoy based in Harare. 
The US man says he was not aware that the CIOs were monitoring Joice Mujuru especially after reports of her leaking state secrets to a US envoy, so for an American citizen to meet her, it would be a serious security matter.
“Oh, boy, had no idea about that. My naivety and/or insufficient knowledge,” he told ZimEye.
Sivley says he failed to complete his interviews after being targeted and quizzed on why he wanted to specifically meet the HON VP Joice Mujuru.
“…they really focussed on why I wanted to meet the VP, and I said cause some consider her an inspirational woman!,” he said.
“Sad thing is that I couldn’t meet but 3 of the inspirational women I wanted to feature,” he told ZimEye.
The US citizen, a photographer who currently serves as vice-chair of a social empowerment organisation in Mutare planned to create a photographic story about inspirational women in the country who could serve as role models for younger women. In the past Sivley who carries a strong passion for photography, and specialises in portraits, architectural and travel/editorial imagery, has for years served the Zimbabwean community in Oregon.
Only white person at Heroes Acre
Sivley successfully attended the recent national heroes commemoration at the heroes acre in Harare in August without being victimised despite being the only white foreigner apart from foreign envoys present there. He revealed to ZimEye that it was only after he sought to see The HON Vice President Joice Mujuru that he was targeted, otherwise his colour of skin could not have affected the CIO agents.
“I can’t say I was targeted as white, but I was easy to pick out of all the people at the Heroes Day celebration since I was the only white in the audience beyond embassy officials.”
Police abuse
Soon after the heroes celebration, Sivley says he was subjected to 7-15 hour interrogations by various officers, including Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, spent four continuous nights in the remand prison and was shouted at and threatened with beatings by notorious police torturer, Henry Dowa of the CID Law and Order section.
“…Visa cancelled Aug 19, had to leave immediately. Despite the fact they couldn’t make any charges stick. Officer Dowa at CID Harare Central Station is someone who is on the edge,” he told ZimEye
He was cleared of charges before returning to the US.
“Immigration cleared me of charges before any court proceedings,” he said.
Sively adds that he was not only denied food and water, but he was also refused his heart medicine. Besides the physical abuse, he had his equipment and goods worth about USD20, 000 confiscated by the police and was neither given a copy of the inventory.
“At no time over the three days were we offered any breaks, water or food. I was never told the name of any police officers. I was never advised where we were going when we were in transit, with the exception of when two officers went with me to search my room,” he said.
“It was clear during the long interrogation that the officers were hunting for some charge they might be able to make stick – be it alleging I was a journalist, that I should have had a business visa, not a tourist visa, and various other lines of inquiry.
“I was subjected to questions ranging from my marital status, my religion, who I was working for, why I had picked women to focus on, and much more. Officers ridiculed my mention of a female farmer as the inspiration for this project, questioned why I had ‘a woman who did absolutely nothing of importance’. At about midnight on August 15, I was charged with the business/tourist visa matter,” he said.
No strip search
Sivley says that the police did not strip search him something he finds to be unusual since if the police were genuinely concerned about discovering more about him, they would have performed a more thorough search instead of just targeting his belongings.
“I’m just typing some trip notes and one thing I recall is that even though they searched me, my room, my backpack, etc, they never did a strip search. Is that normal? Seemed a shortfall from their perspective, frankly?,” he said.
Prisoners were happier than the prison-guards
Sivley has said that during his stay he found that prisoners were actually happier and in better spirits than the guards themselves.
“They tried to toss a bunch of phony charges at me, all cleared, but visa cancelled. 4 nights prison; they kept my equipment. But prison inmates had higher morals than the cops…,” he said.
Caught lice and ringworm
“On my second night in remand, I caught lice from the wool blankets and ringworm from the showers, as verified by doctors in the US on my return. On August 18, at about 9am, I was escorted out of the cell to two waiting immigrations officer who, after some delay, said I had been cleared of the visa charge, but that my visa had been cancelled and they were taking me to the airport immediately.”
“I stayed on the concrete floor with my head one foot from a concrete toilet and my feet at a drafty door,” he said. “One of the key observations I made was that there was absolutely no communication between CID, immigration or prison officials.
“Clearly, there are prisoners who merit different treatment after being convicted of serious crimes, but I was housed with non-convicted prisoners, many accused of minor crimes, who enjoyed no rights, procedures, information or basic health standards. I noticed that the absence of rules or procedures was even worse and more arbitrary in police cells than at remand.”
Sively has said he hopes to contact the Home Affairs Ministers Theresa Makone and Kembo Mohadi about his ordeal. His equipment has now been released, but the cost to ship it to America is very expensive. (ZIMBABWE, ZimEye)
27 Replies to “Joice Mujuru US tourist arrested and tortured”
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Zvipiko, sovereignity does not mean you have to act as idiots. Your Zanu PF paranoia is making you scratch your rectum and lick your fingers, you look for non-existent enemies within and without. Jittery actions of a regime with a very guilty conscience. Paul Silvey is not your enemy maface, your biggest enemy is the ballot box!!
Pauro. MaMujuru is the Deputy Head of State not any other woman in the street OR a Deputy Head of a School. We know what we are doing. You just come and see our Head of state without appointment who do you think you are? Its not as simple as you might thing Paul. This is Zimbabwe not any other country. You deserve what you got bhooyi.
Paul S,we are a Sovereign State and not a village in America.The media is there to misinform.You can share links from “the zimbabwean”,bbc,cnn,aljazeera etc.Every country has its own laws and citizens or non-citizens MUST abide them as long as they are within our borders.Paul,you do not “suggest” anything for our Immigration Laws.I am sure that if you had followed proper procedure to meet the Vice President then she would not have refused to spare a few minutes to hear what you had to say.Unfortunately you sought to tarnish our country by selling your so called “ordeal” with the press.Being american and white does not guarantee you entrance into any country.The Immigration will vet your application and make a decision on whether to grant you a visa to enter Zimbabwe.We hope that should your application be denied you will not run to the press as you will not be the first and last white american to be denied a visa.How was your trip back home?
vana Chegotsi, tibvirei kumhepo
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/news/zimbabwe/61053/a-photographers-nightmare.html?utm_source=thezim&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=latestarticles
More accurate story. I hope Immigration will take my suggestion and make it clear when a business visa is required and not. But that was just one of the many excuses that was used to detain me, none of which stuck.
And while I’m not a journalist, I will seek accreditation should I ever return. We’ll see if it gets approved or not.
How come you still have your camera yet you claim it was taken.
He could be just a harmless adventurous big boy. Next time come as a journalist so that you talk to her…….and do not forget the procedures to be followed. Have a good day nice boy.
Thanks Secretary Bird for the wise words to Paul. Like l said earlier, should you have forwardf your proposal in advance for consideration even through your embassy, you would have received a lot of co-operation in this regard. Coming in as a tourist therefore means you had a lot that you wanted to hide in the guise of wanting to interview inspirational women. Naturally, a tourist would just visit all places of interest without any restrictions and Cde Mujuru is not one of those places neither is she a tourist attraction. Your Visa did not even indicate that you were on a working visit. Just a reminder, a Police Officer is a law enforcement agent and not a church pastor. Also, a prison cell will never be like a five star hotel room, fool!
ko chii nhai
once a murderer always a murderer. anyone perceived to be a zanu pf enemy is subjected to all forms of babaric in human treatment. Chisingaperi chinoshuri. those who use swords will perish by the sword
Paul S,there are procedures to be followed if you want to see Ms Joice Mujuru.I can’t just come to America and ask to see Joe Biden from nowhere,that’s were you went wrong.And by so doing you raised suspicion.In Africa we are not “sleeping” but vigilant.We will ship your equipment in due course.Don’t politicise nonsense.Keep well.
Why bother to explain yourself to idiots,they are just bent on mailing noise on things that do not matter while the country is going to the dogs, the police department needs help indeed. Clearly zanu pf is not concerned about service delivery and proper application of the law. Mr Mugabe donated thousands of computers and printers to rural school that do not have electricity but the police stations still use analogue type writers that take hours to type a simple statement. No computers at the passport offices but you donated thousands of computers as a election campaign gimmick to areas that need electricity first while the police stations are still suffering to but stationary like writing.pads and pens.eish
Paul Silvey, don’t bother explaining yourself to Zanu PF retards, the more apologetic you are the more they justify their barbaric acts. Forget about VP Mujuru, what kind of inspirational woman gets people arrested and tortured just for wanting to talk to her? She suffers from personality disorder herself, which led to her husband keeping tabs on her via the same CIO which tortured you. She knows more about her husband’s murder than she reveals. She was appointed to that VP post based on partisan politics. She is hardly an “inspirational” woman. You can see one of the barbarians Bla Dog above justifies torturing and jailing someone for two days simply because they did not make an appointment with you and dared request a meeting with a VP. Instead of simply denying them the meeting and leaving it at that, as would be done in a civilized world. This mentally disturbed regime of RG Mugabe is what we have to deal on a daily basis, where you can be shot for simply gazing too long at the state house where the goblin lives. This is a regime based on a cult philosophy and whose demise will deliver this country from darkness.
vp mujuru us tourist’ ths statement is bad.vanyori nyorai kwazvo.zvoita kunge mai mujuru vagara vachimuziva-ko kana vari vakadzi avo.ngavabvunzwe zvakanaka kwete kusvibisa zita remunhu iye asina chaanoziva.those two woman must be arrested.
Bla Miki
Is he straight is he gay?
Is he liking boys or is he liking a mans?
Is he the husband or is he the wife?
zanu pee off mentality,bin laden is a hero?tjo nways those who kill innocent people are heroes!no wonder why u worship the coffin dodger.wow u monkeys seem to have a penchant for shooting urselves in the foot…
The purpose of this trip was not to meet the VP. I wanted to meet with her as one of dozens I hoped to talk with, because she is an inspirational woman having become VP. I had no meeting set with her and knew that it would be a tall challenge to get one. She was hardly the focus of my trip in any way whatsoever. Nevertheless, I thought she embodied one end of the spectrum of types of occupation and achievements and was thus a valid person to try to meet with. I agree that I caused unhelpful concern in wanting to do so. I wanted my images to show diverse people so that young girls of all backgrounds could find someone that they identified with as a role model.
This trip purpose was to interview inspirational women of all strata of Zimbabwe’s society and in all types of work. I’ve been inspired by rural farming women, women running schools for disabled, women serving as university vp’s, nurses, microfinance managers, in all walks of govt, and so much more. My purpose was to use video/still imagery and interviews to bring them out of the shadows and show their accomplishments, in hopes that they might feel appreciated and so young women could have role models. I did not seek to focus or exclude anyone based on age, party affiliation (or lack of one), occupation, location, etc. The one prerequisite was that they have accomplishments or a life history that would motivate other women and that the project show the diversity of the female population that is Zimbabwe.
I actually was in police cells 2 nights and Remand Harare 2 nights, just to correct that.
My comment about police procedures was part of a larger discussion about the need for police reform to bring justice, rule of law, and a higher level of expertise into police interrogation procedures. This is a need in Zimbabwe, and many other areas of the world. I can only speak based on personal experience to the need in Zimbabwe. The presence or absence of a strip search was a minor comment about interrogation practices in that larger context.
The comments by Jumpdaki re “our agents volunteered information” and my insisting “to meet VP Majuru” are patently false. I urged my interrogators to provide me with candidates that inspired them, which they failed to do.
The epidemic of lice in prisons is no small matter, not to mention the lack of privacy in health care for remand prisoners.
I am not a spy or journalist, and those accusations reveal a lack of basic research on my background.
I understand completely the comments about Guantanamo and how trying to meet high level govt officials would evoke concern. Those are well made points.
I think all the critical comments are an effort to undermine the VP and hinder women from taking positions of power – all thinly veiled political and patriarchal positioning.
I fully recognize that I am a foreigner and nonresident who isn’t representative of the dominant ethnicity of Zimbabwe. Please trust that I don’t come to preach or convert or spy, but to help in some small way that is fair and helpful without being of a neo colonialist nature. As I told the officers, an approach of a neocolonialist nature would be highly offensive to me. I simply care about helping those who may lack opportunity or voice – where ever they are. It’s as simple as that – a personal passion. Let’s not make it more than that for political purposes.
Thankfully, despite the efforts of Officer Dowa, I will be able to complete this project via past work completed. I would have liked to be a voice for the need for police resources (computers, software, vehicles), but the actions of officers like Dowa have done their staff a huge disservice in blocking that opportunity.
Paul
There are strict rules about doing media work in a foreign country. You apply for permission to do fioming or photographic work. You are cleared and given an ID or work permit.
If you are a tourist , you remain exactly that, and no business.
Wy don’t Zim Eye go to the US as a tourist adn then ask for an appointment to interview Hiraly Clinton, and see what happens?
So this Slyvia of a guy would rather have had our security agents search his arse hoping to find a missile hidden there, but they did not, so he complains.
Our agents volunteered information on more important and inspirational women in Mthwakaziland but he insisted he wanted to meet Mujuru. I am surprised that he complains about other forms of rough treated that were delivered to him and lack of delivery of some other forms of rough treatment.
Now he knows our agents are not predictable in terms of treatment. Let him make a story about lice and ring worms.
Aaaa let him in pls, I like my Joyce Mujuru.
Zim security agents at their best , the rest of the world should not take us for granted!! We train our men, they can sniff a spy 600 km away. This one was lucky to leave so quickly. Could it be the up coming Tourist Indaba that saved him, next time be careful blazo unotila!
Why waste time getting in touch with Theresa Makoni?? Kikikiki, this spy has no information!! Even the constables in Gokwe do not salute that old bat or let her past a road block without showing her drivers’ licence. Chii ichocho? Some people!!
This CIA agent is lucky in that we do not have a barbaric Quantanamo bay like they have. He should have been water boarded and revealed what exactly was his mission. They use journalists ,tourists and even fake doctors to spy. (remember the fake doctor that assisted in identifying the location of the Arab hero, Bin Laden who was later murdered by the Americans?). Next time they should just share a ma booze mana (4 bazookas) on them like they did to the American ambassador in Benghazi, zvifambe.
We are eagerly waiting to know who the other three women are, that he interviewed, i hope they don,t include this bichi Jestina Mukoko and the other ytee bichi, the self appointed leader of WOZA.
Gaygodzva, Paul Sivley came here as a tourist and not as an envoy or diplomat. If he had any meaningful business with the VP, he would have made his representations through his US embassy in Harare, who would have then sought permission to see the VP through the foreign affairs ministry. This is just a publicity seeking jinx by your whîte master you idiot.
Serves the bastard right. Is Cde Joice Mujuru a tourist attraction or she is a deputy to the Head of State? Did he go to Zimbabwe Ruins, Victoria Falls, Kariba, Mana Pools, Matopos or Nyanga Mountains and refused entry? Since when do tourists have to see heads of states in countries they visit? Can l do the same to just go to US and demand to see Hillary Clinton as one of the tourist attractions? Rubbish!
Utterly disgusting paranoid schizophrenic behavior. This will take the country nowhere. Instead of a PR boost by highlighting the achievements of women, incl the VP, the authorities choose to score own goals that portray Zimbabwe as a country of barbarians. I wish Reuben Barwe of Zanu PF would elicit the same treatment from the US CIA, which he is currently visiting, then we will hear what the hypocrites say!