HARARE – Human rights activist Robson Chere who is also the secretary general of the ARTUZ teachers’ union is fighting for his life after being brutally tortured by alleged state agents. Chere was arrested earlier last week and appeared in court on Friday along with three other activists, Namatai Kwekweza, Samuel Gwenzi and Vusumuzi Moyo, Zimlive has reported.
It was during their court appearance that their lawyers painted a harrowing picture of their ordeal.
The court heard that the activists were abducted from a plane and were subjected to hours of torture before being threatened with violence against their families. Chere sustained serious injuries to his backside and is in critical condition. The union leader risks losing his kidneys if he does not receive immediate medical attention.
“As we speak, he is unable to sit upright. He has visible bruises on his buttocks. He is prepared to reveal that part of the body for the court to examine and for the state to appreciate his condition,” Jeremiah Bamu, who is Chere’s lawyer, told the court.
Bamu described the horrific details of the torture, including waterboarding, the pulling out of Chere’s dreadlocks, and attempts to cut them off with a knife.
“They also threatened to kill him or rape his wife if there will be any demonstrations ahead of the SADC summit,” Bamu said.
He added that the assailants knew precisely where Chere’s wife and children were at the time of the attack.
The assailants who identified themselves as “new boys in town” and wore caps labelled “Tafadzwa Hondo” were about 12 in total. They subjected Kwekweza to similar abuse by shoving a booted foot into her mouth and forcing a metal bar into her mouth despite her undergoing a dental operation recently.
“They also forced a metal bar into her mouth well aware that she was still recovering from a dental procedure. She was also kicked with booted feet on her backside and accused of being talkative,” Bamu said.
Gwenzi and Moyo were also subjected to prolonged interrogation and threats of violence against their families. However, the two did not sustain much visible injuries.
“Moyo was interrogated for long hours by different people who took turns to ask him several questions about where his children were, who is his wife, his source of income and not only that, there were moments the abductors would take turns to mock him about his situation. Since that time of detention, Moyo has had incurring episodes of confusion arising from these continuous hours of interrogation,” said his lawyer.
The assailants also told Gwenzi that they could rape his wife and ordered him to warn CCC politicians Ostallos Siziba and Takudzwa Ngadziore against holding any demonstrations.
The four activists face charges of disorderly conduct that is stemming from an alleged protest against the continued detention of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) faction leader Jameson Timba and 78 party activists at the Harare Magistrates’ Court. However, the lawyers argued that Kwekweza was out of the country at the time of the alleged protest.
The court remanded the activists in custody until Monday after the state indicated that it was opposing that the activists be granted bail. The lawyers have called for urgent medical attention for Chere as they say he risks losing his kidneys if he is not treated immediately.
