The trial and torture of Zimbabwe’s Joanah Mamombe continues

On 13 May 2020, a group of young people held a peaceful demonstration in Harare demanding accountability on Covid-19 resources received by the government of Zimbabwe from different countries, organisations and local stakeholders.

On their way from the protest march, three women — Cecilia Chimbiri, Joanah Mamombe and Netsai Marova — members of Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition party, the MDC Alliance, were arrested at a Zimbabwe Republic Police roadblock.

They managed to notify some of their comrades about the arrest and police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed to two newspapers, the state-owned Herald and Newsday, a privately owned newspaper, their arrest for organising and participating in an illegal protest. 

On hearing of the arrest, the three women’s lawyers rushed to Harare central police station, but police there claimed they did not have the women in their custody.

The lawyers and the women’s colleagues went to police stations in Harare searching for them, but were given the same response: “We do not have them in our custody.”

It became clear to everyone who understands the methods of the state that the women had been abducted. The police spokesperson also distanced himself from his earlier admission that they had arrested the three women. 

Fortunately, the car they had been driving on the day of the protest was found parked at Harare central police station, so we knew the police were lying.

Zimbabweans took to Twitter and other media platforms to call for the immediate release of the women, undoubtedly victims of enforced disappearance. There has been a systematic and widespread use of abductions and enforced disappearance by the state on dissidents.

On 15 May, two nights after their disappearance, the three women were found dumped on a roadside near Bindura about 86km from Harare, traumatised and seriously injured. They were admitted to hospital for treatment. Zimbabweans were relieved when we heard they had been found. We thought their troubles were over, but it seems they were just beginning. 

The women narrated their ordeal and in tears explained how after their arrest they had been abducted from police custody by armed men and taken to a forest where for two days they were physically and sexually assaulted and forced to perform humiliating and degrading acts such as drinking one another’s urine. 

While still in hospital, on 26 May, they were charged with “inciting public violence”. A magistrate went to the hospital to hear the matter and a kangaroo court-style hearing was held at their hospital bedsides. Zimbabweans were outraged by the brazen continuation of the victimisation of these women, who had already been tortured. They were granted bail for that charge 29 May.

On 8 June they were discharged from hospital to finish their recovery at home. As they were attempting to pick up their lives after the traumatic experiences, just two days after they were discharged, on 10 June, they were arrested again and this time charged with faking abduction. They were sent to Chikurubi maximum prison only to be granted bail by the high court more than two weeks later on 26 June.

It is clear that the state is hellbent on forcing the MDC Three to face trial despite their mental health challenges. Everything that is happening to them is not because they broke any laws, but persecution for daring to question the government on how it used Covid-19 donations.