REDRESS/AMANI ̸» ¬±®¬«®» ±º Í·¾¿²¼¿ô Ô«°¸¿¸´¿ô Þ±¬±³¿²· ¿²¼ Ù¿³¿ In September 2004 four Bulawayo youths were kidnapped and allegedly severely tortured. The youngsters, Mandlenkosi Sibanda, Mandlenkosi Luphahla, Tisunge Botomani and Nkosilathi Gama, were all members of the ruling Zanu-PF party, and were apparently tortured at Magnet House, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) in Matabeleland, in front of Bulawayo CIO boss Innocent Chibaya. They were said to have been kidnapped from their homes in the high-density suburb of Emganwini and tortured for over four hours. They were apparently beaten all over their bodies with clubs, belts and electric cables, sustaining broken bones and serious injuries to their genitals. The newspaper which broke the story and which generally supports Zanu-PF, said the youths were targeted as a result of intra-party struggles surrounding a notorious war veteran leader, Jabulani Sibanda. The youths named the CIO agents and said that CIO boss Chibaya had witnessed the torture. As a result of the publicity Vice President Msika was reported to have ordered an investigation into CIO boss Chibaya as well as the police chief in Bulawayo, Charles Mufandaidze. Later that month the same paper said that two of the CIO persons said to be responsible, Sylvester Chibango and Medicine Furusa, had been charged and convicted of common assault and fined the equivalent of US$8 each. 141 ̸» ¬±®¬«®» ±º ݸ·§¿²¹©¿ô Õ¿®·¼¦¿ô Ó¿¬¿³¾¿²¿¼¦±ô ܦª¿·®±ô ¿²¼ Ó¿®½¸· The period since December 2004 has seen dramatic internal Zanu-PF feuding following the party congress earlier that month. State agents apparently kidnapped Zanu-PF MP Phillip Chiyangwa on 15 December 2004 as part of an alleged spy-ring selling State secrets to South Africa; others arrested around the same time were banker Tendai Matambanadzo, Zanu-PF diplomat Godfrey Dzvairo, Zanu-PF functionary Itai Marchi, and Zanu-PF’s deputy-Director for security Kenny Karidza. 142 A South African who allegedly set up the spy-ring and who was arrested inside Zimbabwe has not been charged, but there have been appearances of the five Zimbabweans, and three have already been jailed for breaching the Official Secrets Act: Matambanadzo, Dzvairo and Marchi. Karidza is still on trial while Chiyangwa was finally released in late February 2005. Most court proceedings have been shrouded in secrecy but serious torture allegations have emerged. Chiyangwa testified that he was kidnapped in the car park of a Harare hotel, a black hood thrown over his head, and driven by a long and circuitous route to an underground location where he was detained in solitary confinement in a completely dark vermin-infested cell for two weeks, with no toilet facilities; here he was interrogated for hours on end, threatened and intimidated until he had a mild stroke, but was denied medical attention; his condition was later confirmed by a Government and private doctor who recommended hospitalisation, but this was refused; he was denied legal representation until brought to court on 30 December 2004. 141 Zimbabwe Financial Gazette 7 and 14 October 2004; Zimbabwe Independent 19 November 2004; Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Political Violence Report, September 2004. 142 Diplomat Erasmus Moyo was said to have been recalled from the embassy in Geneva but he apparently escaped between the departure lounge and takeoff, and his current whereabouts are unknown. 29