By Kudakwashe Vhenge
Tawanda Muchehiwa who is nephew to prominent journalist Mduduzi Mathuthu over the weekend found beaten up by after four days of missing.
His abduction had attracted various desperate measures which included Mathuthu calling on Vice President Kembo Mohadi to help him out as the search for his 22 year old nephew.
ZimLive reported of the development and said that he was in a bad shape.
ZimLive said, “#UPDATE State security agents last night dumped ZimLive editor @Mathuthu’s nephew Tawanda Muchehiwa following his abduction last Thursday. Muchehiwa, 22, chained and tortured over 2 days, including being made to drink own urine. They accused him of plotting Mnangagwa overthrow.
Prior to Muchehiwa being realeased, Mathuthu had taken to Twitter to try and reach out to the Vice President to help him find his missing nephew.
Mathuthu wrote, “Vice President Mohadi, my sister Siphilisiwe Mathuthu is dead worried about Tawanda Muchehiwa. Of the lot up there, you know what it feels like what she’s going through. They did Gukurahundi, umenzi uyakhohlwa. I appeal to you Sir, please, tell them to let him go #FreeTawanda”.
Tawanda Muchehiwa is said to have been abducted by unknown men at gunpoint which led to the ZimLive editor to reach out to Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) to help him out.
MISA came through by assigning media lawyer Nqobani Sithole to handle the case and he filed for a habeas corpus of the missing man.
A series tweets show that legal processes have been followed but the man has not been released as ordered by the High Court.
Earlier on MISA tweeted, “Nqobani Sithole has filed an urgent chamber application before the High Court of Bulawayo on the 31st of July 2020 around 15:00hrs for a habeas corpus of Tawanda Muchehiwa. He filed the application representing MISA Zimbabwe.”
Mathuthu responded, “Thank you MISA. Tawanda was abducted at gunpoint, in broad daylight, by men driving in a grey/goldish Toyota D4D accompanied by old model white Ford Ranger. It will be 48 hours at midday today since they took him. Police say don’t know where he is. CIO says don’t have such cars.”
After these efforts, the High Court in Bulawayo then order the police to release Muchehiwa within 72 hours.
As revealed in a tweet by Jonathan Moyo, “The High Court in Bulawayo has ordered the Officer in Charge of CID and Law and Order Section in Bulawayo and the Officer Commanding Police in Bulawayo to produce within 72 hrs Tawanda Muchehiwa; abducted Thursday and declared his detention illegal and unlawful and must be released forthwith!”.
Meanwhile, two men, Terence Guta and Loveridge Chinzvende, who were arrested on Friday have been released on bail and their lawyer says that they were in a bad shape.
Human Rights lawyer Doug Coltart said, “.@terry_guta and Loveridge Chinzvende have been released on bail. The story of what happened to them is truly horrific and needs to be told. Praise God they are still alive! They are the heroes of our generation. Thank you @ZadhrDoctors for providing them with medical attention.”
As the calm is restoring, it is important to try and account for everyone who took part in the 31 July protests as some might still be unaccounted for.
