Success Majaramhepo and Caroline Nyamayaro:
The government yesterday buckled under pressure from doctors and civil societies who were piling on the pressure for the State to return medical doctor Peter Magombeyi who was allegedly abducted last Saturday when it send out a statement that the doctor had been found alive in Nyabira, 40km outside the capital.
Doctors and other civil society group, ARTUZ, PTUZ, #Tajamuka and Crisis in Coalition, had been holding rolling demonstration in the capital including handing over petitions to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s offices and Parliament demanding for the safe return of the striking doctors’ leader.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday the CSOs said government must return Magombeyi on Monday and failure to do so they were going to make peaceful demonstration in the capital until his return.
“We want the government to bring back Magombeyi dead or alive on Monday and if they fail we are going to take action because we are tired of these abductions and we want to deal with that once and for fall,” Tajamuka leader Promise Mkwananzi said.
Mkwananzi said that they are not afraid of the illegitimate and criminal government of Mnangagwa as they wanted to enjoy their freedom.
“We are no longer afraid of Mnangagwa’s illegitimate, illegal and criminality government. We want to deal with abductions once and for fall all. We are not driven by political agenda, but we want to reiterate our commitment as citizens to enjoy our freedom,” he added.
Unemployed Youth Organisations (UYO) representative Lomeo Musemburi also condemned the escalation of abductions in the country saying the government must respect human rights.
“The government must stop violating human rights because the state has the responsibility to make sure that human rights are not infringed,” said Musemburi.
Abigail Mupambi said that abductions were part of Zanu PF DNA and the colonial Ian Smith regime was much better than it.
“Abductions are in the DNA of ruling party, because they abduct people who oppose them. Smith’s regime was much better than our government because Zanu PF betrayed the promise of our freedom and liberation,” she said.
Magombeyi’s condition could not be immediately ascertained, but his colleagues confirmed that he had be found. He becomes one of the several activists who have been abducted in the past three months as the regime is getting jittery as the economy continues to plummet.
