Police using Cynthia Manjoro as bait

By Nehanda Radio On Jun 29, 2011 824

Ms Cynthia Fungai Manjoro is a 26 year old information and technology specialist graduate from Zimbabwe National University of Science and Technology who works for a private commercial company in Harare.

Cynthia Manjoro with her two year old kid

On 29 May 2011 her world was quickly and unexpectedly turned upside when police arrested her and her brother Steven in Harare, not on suspicion of committing any crime, but as bait to arrest her alleged ‘boyfriend’ whom they suspected of being connected to the murder of a police officer in the Glen view suburb of Harare.

Her mother and friends testify that Ms. Manjoro is a peace-loving person with a passion for human rights advocacy. Notwithstanding that the mother of a two year old son was nowhere near the scene of the alleged crime, she has endured life in custody for a month now together with 23 other Glen view residents who were also randomly picked up and put in custody in the absence of a shred of evidence linking them to the alleged crime.

Their only crime is that they are perceived to be MDC activists. Despite Ms Manjoro providing the police with contact details and address of her alleged boyfriend whom they are after, they still refuse to release her and denied access to legal representation for the first four days in police custody since her arrest last month.

The case of Ms Cynthia Manjoro and 23 others is a classical example of how elements within the police are using prosecution on flimsy charges as a form of persecution. And yet, perhaps as an alarming signal that the Zimbabwean society is now normalized the abnormal, there has been little outcry over such a travesty of justice.

If police suspect Ms Cynthia Manjoro’s so-called boyfriend of committing a crime, then they should simply look for the said person without unfairly and needlessly depriving Ms Manjoro of priced liberty. On appearance in court on June 3 police confirmed that ‘Cynthia Fungai Manjoro is being held as bait.’

Below is the full list of MDC members who are in remand prison:

1. Last Maengahama

2. Rebecca Mafukeni

3. Yvonne Musarurwa

4. Cynthia Manjoro

5. Linda Muradzikwa

6. Stephen Takaedzwa

7. Tafadzwa Billiard