by Innocent Mujeri
The Movement for Democratic Change youths have expressed reservations on the alleged abduction of three female MDC officials.
The three, Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova allegedly went missing on 13 May, after staging an unsanctioned demonstration in Warren Park.
However, some MDC youths have come out saying, there are a lot of grey areas which make the abduction story farfetched.
“We usually have a caucus meeting before we stage demonstrations so that we can appraise our members on how we would carry out the demonstrations, but we were surprised to hear that there was a demonstration in Warren Park organized by Mamombe (Joana). Joana doesn’t have the authority to plan and execute demonstrations,” said one National Youth Assembly member who preferred anonymity.
Another MDC member who resides in Warren Park was baffled by the demonstrations as she was not aware of the demonstrations.
“I am an MDC youth member who reside in Warren Park, but I was surprised that there was a demonstration. It seems there was a deliberate ploy to sideline some members from the demonstrations for reasons best known to the organisers. After all, how can they come and stage a demonstration in Warren Park of all places?” queried the member who also preferred anonymity.
An insider who confided in this publication said there are reasons to believe that the demonstration and the subsequent alleged abduction was planned by senior members of the MDC as the three female MDC officials, who were allegedly abducted are girlfriends of senior MDC members.
“Mamombe is currently co-habiting with former Executive Director for Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Mfundo Mlilo. Mlilo is the one who bankrolled Mamombe’s campaign for the Harare West seat with the money, he stole from CHRA,” said the youth.
He claimed Chimbiri was a girlfriend of MDC National Youth Assembly Secretary for Local affairs, Agency Gumbo, while Marova is girlfriend to MDC Deputy Organising Secretary, Happymore Chidziva.
He reasoned that the relationship explained why Chidziva was among the first people to arrive at Muchapondwa Business Centre to ‘rescue’ the three officials.
The youth said that the MDC Youth Secretary for Welfare, Maureen Kademaunga, who is taking care of the three female officials in hospital, was Job Sikhala’s girlfriend.
“Why is Maureen (Kademaunga) taking care of the three women in hospital? Is it because she has been directed to do so by her boyfriend Wiwa (Job Sikhala)? Why is Sikhala running around looking for lawyers for the girls when he is not the secretary for legal affairs? This thing (the abduction story) has been pre-planned and the bosses used their girlfriends so that they could benefit some money from the party’s sympathisers,” he said.
More and more insiders doubt the authenticity of the abduction story. Former MDC Ambassador to Australia, Jacqueline Zwambila and former MDC official Linda Masarira did not buy the abduction story.
“There is no abduction. What would be so strategic to kidnap Mamombe at all? If you recall Zimbabwe is under lockdown and leading a demo as well as no physical distancing and masks would raise authorities’ ire. Is this what Job Sikhala was referring to as pandemonium, perhaps.” tweeted Zwambila, last week.
However, Zwambila was forced to retract her statement after Sikhala threatened her that the MDC would engage the Australian Government so that she would be deported.
Masarira also said it was the norm for the MDC to fake abductions so that they can get some finances from their Western handlers.
The MDC is embroiled in factional battles pitting Chamisa and Thokozani Khupe. These two factions are trying hard to outdo each other and the other faction has gone to an extent of faking abductions to gain sympathy from the MDC membership.
