SW Radio Africa (London)

Zimbabwe: Two State Prosecutors Tortured for Sending War Vets to Jail

Two state prosecutors who were based in Matobo in Matabeleland South province fled the country earlier this month, after they were severely tortured for their role in sending three war vets to prison for stock theft.

SW Radio Africa can reveal that the two public prosecutors, Samkeliso Moyo and Freedom Chaita, are now safe in Johannesburg, South Africa after the state turned against them.

They are said to be highly traumatized at what they went through when members of the dreaded CIO set upon them after they successfully proved in court that the three war vets were guilty of the crime charged.

In July, the state eventually convicted the war vets and sent them to serve 15 year jail terms for stealing cattle from a farm that belonged to the late Matabeleland South Governor, Stephen Nkomo. A younger brother to the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo, Stephen died in 2003.

But mystery surrounds the release of the three war vets from incarceration after barely three weeks into their long prison terms. When they were released they reportedly teamed up with CIO's in Matobo to crackdown on Moyo and Chaita.

The two public prosecutors were picked up and held incommunicado at a torture house, where they were severely beaten by the state security agents. It was alleged they had been sent by the MDC to ensure that the war vets were convicted.

Human rights activist John Chikwari, speaking on behalf of the prosecutors, told us the CIO's then 'cooked up' charges against the two.

'They were taken to court facing flimsy charges, but were released on bail. This is when they decided to flee Zimbabwe,' Chikwari said.

Chikwari who was part of a group of Zimbabweans who organised safe houses for the prosecutors, told us the two were slowly recovering physically but 'psychologically are still very much traumatized.'

'What they don't understand is how could convicted criminals be clandestinely released from jail and come back to haunt them with the aid of CIO's without state intervention. The two ended up facing charges and having to spend some days in police cells just for prosecuting war veterans,' Chikwari said.

He added; 'We were informed of their plight when they were still in Matobo and once we knew they were planning to flee the country, we set up a welcoming committee that intercepted them when they crossed over into South Africa.'

Chikwari said; 'It's only now that we've released information about them as we didn't want to jeopardise their chances of escaping from Zimbabwe. I think it must have been a tough experience for Samkeliso as she's always crying. We've made sure though that the two have been seen by doctors and some professionals to help them through their ordeal.'


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Comments 1 to 5 of 14 Post a comment

  • gégène
    Aug 30 2010, 09:49

    Zimbos have such a wonderful justice system.

    Their country must be high on the list of the least corrupted countries.

  • George Warren
    Aug 30 2010, 10:13

    where's the justice, InZanyPoof thinks it's above the law. What where these thugs released from jail for. they were tried and convicted found guilty as charged, oh because they were ZanuPF and they did what the did to Zapu and carried on the Gukurihundi they think they can get away with it, Well they have for now, but believe me, the people have had enough, and these fucking wanking cunt of bastards are going to get what they deserve and they will get it come hell or high water. Fucking bastards.

  • juhlman
    Aug 31 2010, 00:08

    It's all very simple:

    There is one law in Zimbabwe for ZANU-Poof where convicted criminals that happen to support ZANU-Poof are released from prison 3 months into their 15 year sentences to abduct and torture their prosecuters.

    There is another law in Zimbabwe for people like Justina Mukoku are kidnapped, tortured (while the "State" professes ignorance to their whereabouts) and then presents those same people in front of a judge with the help of prosecutors to press charges against them, which are eventually dropped due to the violation of their Constitutional Rights!

    There is very simply one "law" in Zimbabwe for ZANU-Poof, and another "law" for everyone else.......

    Orwell said it best, "All animals are equal, but some animals are MORE equal than others". Orwell meant it as a criticism of Leninist/Marxism, yet Mugabe and his bootlickers have taken it to heart.........

    "Total Empowerment!" - an empty Marxist slogan........ Mugabe and his bootlickers still believe it, the rest of the real world does not..........

    Either ALL Zimbabweans are equal and recieve the same protection of their rights or ALL Zimbabweans are NOT equal............

    Let the FACTS show what is the real reality of Zimbabwe........

  • George Warren
    Aug 31 2010, 02:48

    Yep too true, just the other day i said virtually the same thing to Takunya, hence why Bob wants to keep his extended body guard to protect himself. Anyone associated with Bob can go about with impunity and do what the hell they like and get away with it. What would be very interesting to know here is who released these two convicted thieving bastards out of prison . Bet it goes right to the top right to Johannes Tomana's office. What's the bet . Juhlmans right, one law for InZanePoof and another for everyone else.

    Just going to wait now for the likes of Chokora, Takunya, Rafil, Djosser and them to say there is total law and order in Zim.

  • takunya_ndebvu
    Sep 1 2010, 06:29

    George_Warren;

    If what you and your idiotic friend Julhman are saying was true in Zimbabwe then Roy Bennett would be rotting in jail; Tsvangirai would be serving life imprisonment or would have been hanged and Biti would be languishing in jail for that document he authored.

    The same courts that you criticize are the same ones that are letting thugs in MDC-T off the hock. There is no doubt that Roy Bennett committed the crime he is accused of but the courts, using the same laws you say are for ZANU-PF, have cleared the swine of the crime he committed.

    His friend, Hitchman, implicated him without being asked - he just offered the evidence - but because our courts and the laws (criminal) they use protect the accused and his witnesses more than the state, when he (Hitchman) denied having made or given that statement, the court considered him credible and the Boer terrorist was let off the hock.

    What therefore, is the similarity between the judicial system in Zimbabwe and the so-called "Animal Farm"? There is no link whatsoever; there is not similarity. You need to try another strategy if you are going to convince anyone on here not this old and tired scrap.

    Jestina Mukoko recruited people for training in Botswana and the people were there to testify. How then did she get away with it? This is the same as someone running a bottle store but doubles this by ILLEGALLY changing money on the black market. Illegal activity isn't it or you think it is legal because it is being done by MDC-T?

    When caught such a person will tell the police that he is into selling beer and cigarettes to patrons and will give and/or show convincing evidence - off the hock he goes - but is he not illegally buying and selling foreign currency? He is and everybody around knows that he is but proving it in court, where ONLY evidence beyond ANY reasonable doubt is required, is another thing.

    What is coming out clearly from the story you are quoting is that the so-called prosecutors used false evidence, knowing it to be false, against the war vets after they had been paid to cause the incarceration of the war vets. If they had been kidnapped and beaten, by unknown people, that would have been another story but the two are criminals before the law and their profession.

    Facts on the ground are that they have jumped bail, meaning to say they have a case to answer. Why did they not wait and be cleared by the courts of law in the same way that all other people who have alleged 'persecution' have been cleared? Why run away if you have nothing to hide? Facts on the ground are that they were under lawful custody and had been brought before a court of law within the stipulated period of time - rule of law, isn't it?

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