Posted by Fears are growing for prominent Zimbabwean human rights activist Jestina Mukoko who has been missing since she was abducted from her home yesterday by unidentified men thought to be state secret agents.
As Amnesty International joined other organisations calling for the immediate release of Mukoko.
In a statement issued from London, Amnesty International put the blame for Mukuko’s disappearance squarely on President Robert Mugabe’s government, describing the abduction as “part of a well established pattern of harassment of human rights defenders by Zimbabwean authorities”.
Mukoko, a former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation staffer and now head of human rights organisation Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), was abducted in the early morning hours on Wednesday from her home in Norton, 50km west of Harare.
US ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee called on the in Harare administration, its police force or whoever was responsible for Mukoko’s abduction to release her “now” but did not say what action, if any, Washington would take if the human rights activist was not freed.
“We all know that Jestina Mukoko was supposed to be the master of ceremony but was abducted at 5am this morning,” said McGee, who was speaking at the Auxillia Chimusoro award a ceremony held to honour individuals and organisations involved in combating HIV/AIDS.
Mukoko had been scheduled to officiate at the USAID-backed awards ceremony before her abduction by a group of 15 armed men who were wore plain clothes and who the human rights community in Harare suspect to be agents of the state’s spy Central Intelligence Organisation.
McGee said: “I call upon whoever has abducted Mukoko, whether it is the government, the police or anyone to release her. We want Mukoko released now.”
Amnesty said the men who abducted Mukoko had identified themselves as members of the police.
The men, who were driving in two cars one of which had no registration plates, forced Mukoko – while still barefoot and dressed in her pyjamas – into one of the cars and immediately drove off without saying where they were taking her, Amnesty said quoting eyewitness.
“The abduction or arrest of Jestina Mukoko is part of an established pattern of harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders by Zimbabwean authorities in an attempt to discourage them from documenting and publicising the violations that are taking place,” said Amnesty’s Africa programme director Erwin van der Borght.
According to Amnesty, a group of about six men it said were believed to be part of the gang that kidnapped Mukoko on Wednesday had attempted to enter her house at the weekend by falsely claiming to be her workmates. They were apparently denied entry.
Mukoko had not been seen or heard from by close of business yesterday, while police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena was not immediately available to shed light on whether police had made any progress tracking down her kidnappers.
Van der Borght said: “We hold the Zimbabwean authorities responsible for anything that may happen to Jestina Mukoko. She should be released immediately and while in detention the authorities should guarantee her safety and ensure that she has access to a lawyer and family, as well as food, warm clothes and medication.”
Mukoko’s ZPP has played a crucial role in monitoring and documenting politically motivated violence before and in the run-up to the March 2008 elections and in the run-up to the June presidential run-off election.
The ZPP, which produces periodic reports on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, has built an authoritative archive of rights violations compiled through a network of community based human rights defenders.
Additional reporting by zimonline
Who the hell are you Makigii kuti’NOW’. Wakakwana here iwe.Why dont you make that much noise nevapfanha 12 vakatsakatika. What is so special about Jestina. Nokuti aimboverenga nhau paterevhizheni kana kuti ane zvaanga akukuitirai zvisakarurama? Mind your language when you are in other people’s countries. Hanzi now.hahahahahaha seka hako mwana wevanhu. woti tinovhunduka izvozvo.
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Abel,you should be ashamed of what you are saying.Are you implying that what McGee has done to demand the release of Jestina Mukoko is bad?Are you also implying that the government of Zimbabwe through its security organs has the right to infringe a person’s rights by raping them,making them disappear or even killing them?Why do you support such disregard of human rights?Surely,how can a sane person get to this extend of supporting Mugabe at the expense of human life?Let McGee make the demands on behalf of everyone in Zimbabwe whose voice is not listened to by Mugabe.After all it is within McGee’s job description, as ambassador, to make such demands on behalf of his Government and the people of Zimbabwe.Your master Mugabe knows this!!Lastly,you cannot fool anyone by pretending to be an MDC supporter by mentioning the missing twelve because it is evident you belong to Zanu pf(uti)!!!
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Robert Mugabe matosi chaiwo
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ABEL URI BENZI
I will never understand this- 15 armed men coming for one defenseless woman who can not even harm a fly. What has become of our motherland. My heart bleeds for the whole nation but mostly for this insane excuse of a human being called Abel. How can you trivialise an issue concerning life and death of a human being. A normal human being should feel sad for a government which is stooping lower than the word low itself and reaching a level where it feels THREATENED BY a defenseless woman who is documenting articles talking about an animal that is eating its own children. OH CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY. Zimbabwe is killing its own people!!!!!!. A human being can only be human if he has dignity and respect and your ZANU Pf leaders have lost all this just to remain in power. Is it really worth it. Is it really necessary to kill, maim, rape and torture, lose respect and dignity so that you remain in power. GOD HELP US ALL.
I really feel sad for this government. Harare
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waz almost n tears wen was perusing this isue until I met that little devil’s comment ABEL:
U contain no human feelings ndakushayira mashoko!!
MY Question 2 u is: Hauna gona reuroyi here??
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Abel, you are an insult and a joke to Humanity. Mwana we****
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abel ,,,,,,you are a small piece of **** .Bulawayo.
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you are an a*s **** abel she is my mom and we want her back weather she used to read news or not its non of your f**k bussiness.
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I intend to indulge myself….I don’t expect this post to be displayed, But… you never know.
Forex is the lifeline of the ruling elite. Without it, they will walk away.
The street traders on the parallel market are paid to sell Zim dollars for Gono and the elite. Disrupt their operations and you will disrupt the elites lifeline.
PETROL BOMBS.
take 1 x 70ml petrol in a 75 ml bottle. add 1 x Gelatin square . Let it dissolve. Take 15 cm of cotton twisted and inserted into the neck of the bottle so that it forms a seal and is at least 5 cm from the bottom of the bottle.
Be careful when you light. DO NOT THROW AT INDIVIDUALS. The trick is to deny territory.
Cars, Vans and other vehicles with air intakes are vulnerable to this device. The vulnerable area is the gap between the windscreen and the bonnet.
It’s your country.
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hey ,what are these faken idiots doing nevana vamwari.Mwari akatsamwa nazvo,Mugabe,Chiwenga,Chihuri plus those others (JOC)Beeewareee.i’m feeling short of words.
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Abel, its a pity we have individuals like you in our society, not too sure whether yu were not part to these 15 devils (bought by money to kill)
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I PRAY TO THE ALMIGHT GOD THAT THESE PEOPLE MUST NOT KILL JESTINA, MAY GOD BE WITH JESTINA WHEREVER SHE IS.
PLEASE GOD LET THE ZIMBABWEANS HAVE ONE HEART, LOVE EACH OTHER, CARE, KIND MUST BE SOMETHING IN OUR HANDS AND MINDS EVERYDAY OF OUR LIFE.
THANK YOU LORD
AMEN
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Please Zimbabweans lets have one heart. Its not good to rejoice when someone is in predicaments, we have to pray for our felow family friends. remember if you are a Zimbabweans we are one family. Lets have one heart and pray for each other.
Please GOD help Justina
THANK YOU LORD
AMEN
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Morgan Morgan Morgan T how many times did i call you ? dont get involved with Zanu pf in a GNU please dont you see people like Jestina are just taken away for nothing but the truth and you want to go in to government with these mad men you will have sold out leave him now dont play his game he is finished leave him alone please Mugabe is just a useless man now you should have heard what Banki Moon told him in the meeting UN and you will see the mans days are numbered he is a finished man going down to the dogs i am telling you dont give him a chance leave these talks people are suffering right now and they are very much prepared to go to the end until this idiot Mugabe is out so play your cards well and be like a man on one mission dont sign dont take Thabo Mbeki word he worse than a fool that’s why they got rid of him as a leader he dose not have the qualification for that job he is another useless man so play the game well its your move so move the right way and touch is a move.
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kusvika riinhi nhai tichingo urawa like dis? toita sei toti cholera,AIDS, uku kunaMugabe nevanhu vake…..God is watching…Abel uri **** yemunhu …nyaya iyi is not about Mukoko its about what is happening to innocent zimbabweans and mukoko is the latest victim, So u want us to keep quiet nekuti Zanu yambouraya vamwe vanhu vakawanda…..and pavakauraiwa did we keep quiet??? ndimi vanhu munoda kuchekwa machakuti muri vapenyu sezvatichaita bob nedzimwe **** dzake…WE WANT MUKOKO BACK ….N DIS HAS TO STOP…..
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Thanks for your comments fans!!!!!!
Jestina is safe rest assured my people. I was a fan of Jestina on the news desk and believe me she is very safe and in safe hands. Ana McGee venyu ava ndivo vachatomuvhiringira zvinhu.
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Dambudziko ramuinaro vadzidzi vangu nderiri.Hamuzive kwakabva zanu neku dealer nevanhu vainoona kunge vatengesi. Inga kwaane Google mazuvaano. Mabiography azere wani kunze uku especially those that describe the events between 1974 to 1979. You have the nhari rebellions, u have the mgagao declaration. You have the ZIPA crushing post Geneva conference. A lot took place musango umu and people were killed nemusangano in cold blood if they thought they were selling out. Those people who killed in cold blood are roaming our streets now and they did not receive any counselling. In their minds they are still in those nhari rebellion days and killing is normal to them. They have seen too much blood. And then in comes young boys like the midgets commenting above who never went through any of these problems, born after independence and innocent. Death to them is a sacred. So you see where your problem is. Varume ava will kill for what they believe in and make no mistake about it. Know the people you are dealing with and you will be able to solve your problems. Ana Morgan vamurikutuma ava vaita vatete panyaya iyi.
Verengaiwo mabhuku munzwisise varume ava. Re-living the second chimurenga, Days of the generals are but two examples . Killing is bad I know but you must live in reality.
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Abel uri dicha chairo . maybe hauzivi kuti dicha chii.Dicha ib-che risinganaki. Uri Mukosho chaiwo. Unofunga se mb-ro chaiyo
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Zimbabwean must unite and demand the release of Jestina and all who have been arrested for no cause and have gone for days without trial.
There is no justification under the sun to kidnap an individual and deny the rights to be seen by their relatives and lawyers.
Please let her out for God’s sake
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Abel The Best Is Yet To Come!!!
It’s so unfortunate that we(all you referred as funs) do know each other as individuals on personal basis, but brother with all your perceived knowledge about the goings on in the speciality fields of butchering innocent civilians, a time will come when you and all those you and your second chimurenga villians will greatly regret!! For it shall be the darkest day or days to befall you!! That day is not far off. Yes!! Abel you will laugh at this line of thinking,” it’s the hopeless hoping there is hope to to be derived from outer space!!”
You are that ignorate as you would like us to think. You your days are numbered, all this kind of stubbonness you try to portray is based on fear and time is not on your side murderers and stupid supporters of idiotic organisation calling itself the liberation party!!
Talking about what liberation? With benefit of hind sight, this Monster Robert Mugabe should not have been entrusted with a country of such economic sophistication. They seized and looted farms on the pretext of economic empowerment to no avail!! Idiots!! Imbeciles!!!!
To Mugabe and cronies “The Rivers of Sewages in Cities” is Milk and Honey they promised the nation – SHAME ON ROBERT MUGABE!! SHAME ON HEARTLESS BLOODY MURDERERS!!!
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Kana Manyika Commisariat achichekereswa what more ava anaTete varikushaikwa!!! Zvazvinodai pamuti mu**** kokuzoti pamuti wakaoma. And sam thanks for saying ndofunga semb-ro chaiyo, ndiyo yakaita kuti uvepo kudai.LOL
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Guys, people like Abel get their ‘power trips’ from our reaction to their nonsense. Please lets talk about real and pertinent issues and the best thing we can do about Abel is simply to ignore him. I appeal to you do not make him more important than he really is. Just ignore his rantings. The day of reckoning comes to all of us and good always triumphs over evil, even if it takes a lifetime. Let us unite in prayer for Jestina and other activists and brave souls who dared speak out while the majority of us Zimbos left the country. Bless you all.
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What important issues do you ever discuss Rudo? All you talk about is your hatred for our dear leader but you cant translate that into a strategy. Honai mukuru wenyu apererwa ari paBotswana apa.Lets discuss pertinent issue my a.s.s madhongi achamera nyanga muchingotaura.
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Abel u seem 2 me like a good thinker but unfortunately u use your brains 4 the wrong reasons. ndichakudzorera kumusha nemafungiro ako
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Abel imha,ta lets not waste out time responding to him!!!
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Yu know in a way Abel is right, whenever these people open their mouths something bad is bound to happen. Lets put the hate aside and think for a while. I’d say she is safe til we hear she’s been found dead or something. Action dzirikudaidzirwa nana mcgee ndodzichamuisa patyt. Think about it. At times its good to do things silently than kuonekwa kuti ndini.
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Why is attention paid to this Abel guy and not the real issue, Jestina’s safety?
“Rest assured Jestina is safe?” Who the heck do you think you are- you sound like you know what she’s in for. Please, the fact that you are posting on online forums and responding swiftly to messages are obviously indication that you are not as stupid and ignorant as you appear. Then don’t talk like you are part of the terrorist group- if you are and it’s REAL, disappear from this forum man, you don’t deserve to be here.
Jestina is a brave individual and everyone wishes for her safety. I don’t know much about Mugabe’s government actions and won’t quote here, but that woman should be allowed to do what she has been doing previously without all these criminal interventions. She is only trying to do the best for her country and her people. God bless!
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mukuru aiti cholera over bt did u see how he was fighting all those flies pamicro phone! Dzaida kupinda mumuromo!
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Abel you dont understand humanity. I hope when your brother Mugabe is out of power you will be leg ironed to his leg straight to his grave.Jestina is a strong woman who has proved that not only men can fight a dictator’s human rights abuse. People like you Abel are hypocrites who do not know where they are heading.
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http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=36611664191&ref=ts
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If this nobody called abel thinks he is funny i believe nobody is laughing.IF he is serious i pity him 4 being stupid.
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Maneta nekutauraka vafanha.We know ndopamunogumira.Today is January 24 but we are still firmly in control and Jestina is firmly in our hands.McGee has realised that continuing to interfere in Jestina’s case may actually get her hanged so he has retreated. Kana tichikuudzai hamuteerere. Anofira mahara Jestina nekuhukura kwenyu.nxa!!!
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[...] abducted eighteen human rights defenders and political activists. Their families feared them dead. Those seized were eventually dropped off at police stations and processed for crimes against [...]
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