By Lance Guma
Today we remember Rwisai Nyakauru, the 82 year old headman who was arrested and tortured by Zanu PF youth militia and war vets. He died from his injuries on Saturday the 16th of April 2011.
The headman for Nyamaropa in Nyanga had been incarcerated for 25 days, alongside Nyanga North MP and MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora and 23 other villagers.
Nyakauru was arrested on the 14th of February at the Taziwa Hotel and brutally assaulted in one of the rooms. The war vets and Zanu PF militia “kicked him all over the body especially the chest area.” Mwonzora narrated last year.
“When we got to prison he was very sick and at one time collapsed vomiting blood. Prison officers would not take him to a civilian hospital believing they could treat him there.” Mwonzora explained.
Mwonzora said the death of Nyakauru was an indictment of the Attorney General, Johannes Tomana, whose office caused the headman to spend an unnecessary 3 weeks in custody after appealing his bail.
Mwonzora was tied to the headman while in custody, with both of them forced to wear leg irons. He said Nyakauru kept naming the people who assaulted him.
These were identified as Wilfred Pokoto, Tawonga Mutsiwawo and Kilborn Masunungure. Pokoto especially was mentioned as having assaulted the 82 year old using a ‘safety’ shoe, that had an iron tip inside the front shoe end.
Nyakauru’s son, Philemon, who came to attend the funeral from Boston in the United States where he is teaching, said his father was a very outspoken man and this created enemies for him.
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