Mapozho Saruchera
A lot has been written about the alleged abduction of Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) Acting President, Dr. Peter Magombeyi, who supposedly went missing between 14 and 19 September 2019. There are allegations that Dr. Magombeyi received threatening messages from supposedly State security agents prior to his ‘abduction,’ – a piece of information which civil society and opposition political figures have used in buttressing the narrative that Government was responsible for the transgression. Now that Magombeyi was found safe and sound, the question is – was it abduction or not?
To begin with, why would anyone want to abduct Dr. Magombeyi? Was he a threat to the Government as civil society wants the nation to believe?
As a union leader, Magombeyi must have been instrumental in recent salary negotiations between Government and the doctors. There might have been disagreements between the two, but both sides remained committed to striking a deal, with Government revising its offer upwards numerous times. The fact that Government came to the negotiating table more than once is evident enough that the new dispensation believes in dialogue to solve differences rather that violence or violation of citizens’ rights.
Relatedly, the Zimbabwean Government had a lot to lose through the abduction of Magombeyi or any of its citizens as this goes against opening the country for business with the aim of attracting the much need foreign direct investment (FDI). If put to a vote, I have no doubt the Government would have chosen FDI over not having disagreements with Dr. Magombeyi or any of its employees for that matter simply because more FDI can easily propel the country into the upper income by 2030 and transform the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans for the better – something that Government is sincerely striving to achieve.
In the same vein, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made great strides in re-engaging the international community and a number of foreign countries have commended him for the reforms he has made. The abduction of Magombeyi would have seen all that effort going to waste, for the international community would simply declare that Zimbabwe must respect the rights of its people before any meaningful re-engagement can take place.
Again, with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) about to roll into life and Zimbabwe expected to pursue the removal of the illegal sanctions imposed by the West, logic dictates that the abduction of Magombeyi could have overshadowed Government’s anti-sanctions call on the world stage. There are also media reports to the effect that MDC supporters in United States had already planned demonstrations demanding Magombeyi’s return in order to gain political mileage from the issue. This could have watered down and diverted attention from the expected campaign against sanctions.
With the above arguments strongly supporting the position that Government would have been disadvantaged by the abduction of Magombeyi, it can be safely concluded the doctor was not ‘abducted’ by the State. To uncover the culprit behind the misdeed there is need to look at events surrounding the alleged abduction.
Dr. Magombeyi is the one who broke the news of his ‘abduction’ to his colleagues through WhatsApp. Yes you heard me right - his abductors were very ‘generous,’ for it does not happen often to be abducted and be left with your phone to go on WhatsApp so that one can quickly foil the plans of your abductors. Under normal circumstances his housemate, associates or relatives could have been the first to raise alarm. The drama does not end there – Dr. Magombeyi was also the first to break the news of his resurfacing. The abduction could have been plausible had the doctor been found wondering in Nyabira than for him to phone his colleagues alerting them of his whereabouts and then tell the world he could not remember much.
To add to the above, a day after Magombeyi’s resurfacing, the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services took to Twitter to inform the nation that the doctor was refusing to speak to the authorities thereby jeopardising investigations that were on-going. What was Magombeyi hiding – the identity of his real captors? Where he has been hiding? If so, from what? That the whole event was stage-managed? Only time will tell.
