Nabanyama widow asks for his remains

Bulawayo – Ten years after the abduction of Patrick Nabanyama, Patricia, the widow of the MDC activist still has vivid memories of how her husband was abducted by Zanu PF militia in front of their children in 2000. This month of August as Zimbabwe commemorates the death of gallant Zimbabweans who have fought for real change, The Real Change Times news team travelled to Bulawayo’s Nketa 7 suburb to Patrick’s widow, Patricia.

“I just pray that I will be able to find the remains of my husband so that we will afford a proper burial for him,” said a tearful 54-year old Mrs Nabanyama. Narrating the final moments with her husband, Patricia said on the afternoon of 19 June 2000, a gang of up to ten armed Zanu PF men driving a white Mazda truck with no number plates, descended on their house and forcefully took Patrick away.

They dragged him out of the house, beating him all over the body with their weapons. The goon squad bundled him into their vehicle before driving off at a high speed. “All the seven children except one who was at school saw the abduction,” said Mrs Nyabanyama.

“It was around 4pm on 19 June 2000 when three men armed with a gun knobkerries and iron bars knocked at our home. The other seven remained outside. We were all in the house but one of my daughters was at school. The kids answered the door and let the men in not knowing that they did not have any good intentions.

“The three said they wanted to ask Patrick questions so he had to go with them to their Zanu PF office in town. This sparked a heated argument as my husband vehemently refused to go. They then forced him out beating him all over the body. When we followed them outside we saw them forcefully removing his jacket as it was very cold on the day,” Mrs Nabanyama said.

“When we went outside the gate we realised there were more men, all with weapons who immediately surrounded Patrick. Less than a kilometre from our house as I followed closely with the kids on my heels a white Mazda vehicle suddenly pulled up ahead of us and stopped in front of the group immediately. Ngoni, the driver, jumped out of the vehicle and handcuffed Patrick before they shoved him in the back of the vehicle and speedily drove off,” she said.

“That was the last time we saw him. We promptly made a police report but to no avail as it took the police two weeks to act after a public demonstration by MDC members who demanded an investigation into the abduction and disappearance of my husband,” said an emotional Mrs Nabanyama.

Patrick Nabanyama was the district organising secretary for Nketa and an MDC election agent in the 2000 parliamentary elections. The police investigation led to the arrest of seven men, Cain Mathema, Howard Ncube, Stanely Ncube, Julius Sibanda, one Ngoni, the driver, Ephraim Moyo, one Ndlovu and one Samrods.

The men claimed they were war veterans and Zanu PF activists. The seven agreed that they had abducted Patrick but said they had released him on the very day. “Four of them were later brought to court but were acquitted at the Bulawayo High Court on 1 May 2001,” she said.

“During the trial they said they had released Patrick on the very day they abducted and could not be held accountable for his disappearance. They even accused me during the trial of travelling to South Africa fortnightly to see him as he was faking his disappearance,” a distraught Mrs Nabanyama said. She said she had never in her life travelled to South Africa or any other country.

“My family just wants transparency and an objective judgement so that we can have a decent burial for my husband once his body is located,” she said. “It pains me to note that my husband’s killers are also my neighbours,” she said. Three of the Zanu PF murderers have since died while one has gone blind. “Maybe if they had cooperated with the family, we would have at least found the remains of my husband and painfully acknowledge he is dead.”

Nabanyama trust fund was launched in 2000 and proceeds from the fund contributed to the livelihood of the family. But after some leaders decided to walk out and form a splinter group, the trust fund was scuttled by the renegade leaders. Mrs Nabanyama says her husband who worked as a printer at Mavo Printers was the sole bread winner and life for the family had become difficult as she struggled to feed and clothe her kids and pay rates.

“I owe a lot in arrears and am struggling to pay fees for the two kids who are still in school. I have even failed to get a birth certificate for the last born who is now in Grade Six because the registrar-general’s office wants the father’s death certificate and for the same reason I have failed to benefit from the employer’s welfare fund.”

However, Mrs Nabanyama remains an active MDC activist in Nketa and is a member of the District Women’s Assembly. Changing Times