By Mercy Ngwebvu
MUTASA South National Assembly Member Irene Zindi believes last Friday’s kidnapping and car-jacking which she suffered at the hands of three men was politically motivated to intimidate or silence her.
The suspects visited Zindi’s farm near Penhalonga on the outskirts of Mutare and lied that they were investigating the Baba Jukwa case before forcing the legislator into her Ford Everest vehicle.
They forced her to drive towards Harare before one of them took over the driving of the car.
Zindi, a liberation war veteran, was later dumped in Nyazura just after Bridgestore near Everton Farm.
The farm is owned by Wilfred Hlanguyo.
The Ford Everest, Registration Number ACY 3316, was found dumped in Gweru on Tuesday in an act she described as a sign of cowardice.
In an interview on Wednesday afternoon, Zindi said there were more loose ends to be tied onto the whole drama.
“I strongly feel that last week’s kidnapping and car-jacking was somehow politically motivated. I think whoever is behind the whole issue wants to silence me. It is probably because I am too loud-mouthed or something. Those people were not after money or my car because had it been so, they would have ransacked my house, considering that they even got the chance to get into my bedroom.
“The fact that they later dumped my car shows beyond any reasonable doubt that these people did not want the car, but were after my life.
“If they were so desperate to have my car then why didn’t they just keep it?” said the maverick legislator.
She said when the robbers visited her farm they identified themselves as police officers from CID Harare who were investigating the Baba Jukwa case.
They went on to tell the legislator that she was a suspect and that they wanted to take her to Harare for questioning.
“Another thing which makes me believe that these guys were on some sort of an assignment is that when they were attacking me they made remarks like waifunga kuti wakangwara iwewe (so you thought you were smart?). If indeed you were smart then you ought to have asked us for our IDs to ascertain whether or not we are genuine CID officers. I am sure the whole thing was rehearsed as they were getting instructions for their assignment,” she continued.
Asked how she was faring after the attack, Cde Zindi said she was slowly recovering emotionally, adding that what she went through last week was traumatising.
“Last week’s experience was traumatising, but I am slowly recovering emotionally.
“Save for the injuries I sustained on my throat when they were strangling me, I do not have any serious injuries. The robbers had a gun and they fired two shots on the ground.”
Police said investigations were in progress.
They said anyone with information leading to the arrest of the suspects should contact their nearest police station. Manica Post
