Human Rights Forum Report: Who was responsible?
Chitoro, at Texas Farm. They were released on Wednesday but Fainos was unable to walk upon his release. The
victims managed to reach the home of Mfandaidza (and the late Byron) Hove, where Fainos died two days later on
9 June. The ZRP took his body for a post-mortem.
Case 65: Mavis Tapera (Zhou’s widow) — 4 June 2000
After testifying about her husband‟s death, Mavis Tapera told the Court about her own torture on 4 June 2000.
Assailants led by „Biggie’ Chitoro ordered her out of her house at night and used a knife to cut off her petticoat. At
this point she was clad in only her pants. They began to assault her with logs, concentrating on the buttocks. She
testified that one of the assailants asked her if MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai bought her the pants she was
wearing. Her attackers then forced an iron rod into her genitals and ordered her to imitate sexual positions.
Breaking down numerous times on the witness stand, Mrs Tapera testified that the ordeal was extremely painful but
she was forced to continue. She then was taken to Texas Farm with her husband but was returned the same night.
When her assailants returned her to her homestead, they urinated into a cup and forced her to drink from it. She told
the court that one of the assailants threatened to force her to eat his stool if she refused.
Case 66: E.D. (Male) — 4 June 2000
Kidnapped from home, handcuffed, interrogated and assaulted with sticks and iron bars for 5 days at Texas Farm.
Case 67: M.J. (Male) — 5 June 2000
Hands and feet bound, whipped, kicked, beaten with sjamboks; stripped naked; burned on back, crotch and
stomach with lighted plastic; Sekai Holland‟s Toyota Hilux torched; admitted to Bulawayo United Hospital, unable
to talk as a result of his injuries.
Absent Foloma, Clifford Donsa, Festo Jamela, Langton Mangena, Joram Gumbo,
Handsome Dube and Davison Matutu.
Absent Foloma, Clifford Donsa, Festo Jamela, Langton Mangena are war veterans and Zanu (PF)
supporters who operated in conjunction with Wilson Kufa „Biggie‟ Chitoro and carried out an extensive
anti-opposition campaign in Mberengwa. Their terror campaign involved door-to-door attacks on MDC
supporters and what they called „re-education camps‟ which were carried out at Texas Ranch Farm. To
further bolster their campaign of terror, innocent villagers were forcefully inducted into their campaign
team and forced to work for free, at times being made to beat up fellow opposition party supporters.
Case 68: Z.H. (Male) — 24 May 2000
I was brutally assaulted by 30 Zanu (PF) youths that were armed with chains, sticks, sjamboks and iron bars. They
were lead by Foloma, Clifford Donsa and Jamela. The also used open hands, clenched fists and booted feet to
assault me. I sustained multiple injuries including head injuries. This incident was witnessed by the police who
watched from a safe distance of about 50m.
Case 69: T.M. (Male) — 11 May 2000
T.M. was a Zanu (PF) supporter before he defected to the MDC. He was accused of being a sell-out and was then
subjected to severe beating. This attack was made in front of Joram Gumbo, then the incumbent MP for
Mberengwa West who did not do anything to stop or restrain the Zanu (PF) supporters. On Tuesday 23 May at
midnight a group of 25 Zanu (PF) supporters attacked T.M. again. They dragged him out of his house and assaulted
him using logs and various other hard and sharp objects. In the attack he lost $1500 that was in his pocket. T.M. can
identify his assailants as Lyford Nkomo, Langton Mangena, Festo Jamela, Handsome Dube and Davison
Matutu.
Case 70: T.M. (Male) — 23 June 2000
On 23 June T.M went to Rwavamutange where he was supposed to be the MDC polling agent. As he boarded off
the bus he was ambushed by a group of Zanu (PF) supporters who assaulted him using chains, sjamboks,
knobkerries and various other hard and sharp objects. He sustained bruises all over his body and his kidneys were
damaged. On 24 June he was taken to White Hospital in Zvishavane and on 26 June he was admitted at the Avenues
Clinic in Harare. T.M can identify Absent Foloma as the leader of the group that attacked him in Rwavamutange.
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