By Nyashadzashe Ndoro
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) leader Takudzwa Ngadziore was assaulted by armed men in plain clothes while addressing a news conference 101 Metres from Impala Car Rental.
Ngadziore and colleagues were addressing the media while demanding answers concerning Impala Car Rental’s alleged role in the use of its vehicles in state sponsored abductions.
During the attack, several journalists were also beaten and their equipment seized. Voice of America correspondent Godwin Mangudya, Freelance journalists James Jemwa and Munashe Chokodza were among the assaulted media practitioners.
Recently, Tawanda Muchehiwa, a trainee journalist was abducted by suspected security agents in Bulawayo’s central business district. Unassailable new CCTV footage revealed that the abductors used a vehicle hired from Impala.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Lawyer, Webster Jiti has been sent to attend to the attacked and arrested Zinasu President and some Zimbabwe Human Doctors for Human Rights were also sent.
The men who attacked Ngadziore took him with a Toyota NOAH to the Harare Central Police where he is currently detained.
Below are Ngadziore’s few words before being brutally attacked.
“We are here because we understand that Impala is the one that rented our a car used in the abduction of our colleague, Tawanda Muchehiwa,”
The abduction of Muchehiwa happened, a day before the foiled #31 July anti-corruption national protests.
Muchehiwa was held for three days at an unknown location and was subjected to gruesome torture before he was dumped close to his home after a High Court judge had ordered his release within 72 hours.
The abductors demanded to know where his nephew, the ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu was.
Mathuthu played a crucial role in exposing corruption allegations implicating President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his family in the US$60m Drax Covidgate scandal.