Tsvangirai meets released MDC-T members

MDC leadr Morgan Tsvangirai today met with the three MDC-T members who were released from remand prison yesterday who told him about the harrowing life prisoners are going through in prison.

Last Maengahama, a National Executive member and secretary for ICT, Harare Councillor, Tungamirai Madzokera and Yvonne Musarurwa, a member of the Harare province Youth Assembly were released from remand prison after spending 3 years in prison facing false charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View, Harare in May 2011.

They were part of 29 MDC-T members who were arrested on similar charges in 2011.  The other 21 were acquitted last year.

Tsvangirai said the arrest and incarceration of the MDC-T members was persecution. "Yours was not prosecution.  Yours was persecution.  The biggest challenge in the face of economic challenges that the country is facing is that in prison there is no food," Tsvangirai.  

"I want to thank you for the courage and determination that you have shown.  I am glad that you have the determination to see real change.  The struggle continues until we attain real change.  We will always be with you in this struggle," he assured them.

The trio told Tsvangirai that although they spent nearly three years in remand prison, they remained emboldened in their fight for real change and a new democratic Zimbabwe despite the rigging of the 31 July elections by Zanu PF.

"We thank the Lord for this opportunity. What happened on 29 January, 2013, we did not expect that we would be granted bail at the High Court," Musarurwa told Tsvangirai.

Musarurwa said when she was remanded in custody on 3 June, 2011, she and the late Rebecca Mafukeni were removed from the female section of Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison to the male section where serving prisoners are committed to.

"They told us that we should not stay with other female prisoners as we were dangerous MDC-T activists.  Life was hard.  We only saw the light of the day for 30 minutes each day.
 
"Right now the conditions in prison are very pathetic and there is serious hunger in prison that people are dying every day," said Musarurwa.

The three said the hardest part of their lives was when Mafukeni died on 12 August while still in remand prison after prison officials denied her medical attention. "The situation in prison is not conducive.  There is no clothing, food and most prisoners are ill because of food shortages with prisoners getting only one meal a day.  The Zanu PF government is failing to provide.
 
"At Chikurubi there is no water and inmates are going for a week without bathing and even water to drink is now scarce while there is serious overcrowding, with cells meant for 15 inmates accommodating 37 people. The prisoners are getting infected with tuberculosis and other communicable diseases," said Maengahama.

Like Musarurwa, Maengahama was incarcerated where convicted hardcore prisoners are serving. "There are 400 very, very dangerous criminals in that section and only three of us were not convicted with the other two being mentally ill patients who were waiting to go for medical examination," said Maengahama.

"We do not consider that we were in remand prison, we were serving and it is said that the judiciary system allows people to be in remand prison for four to six years," he added.

Madzokera said; "During my incarceration I learnt how ugly the judiciary and the prison system in the country are.  There is hunger, no clothing and it shows that there is need for real transformation in the country.  However, during my stay in remand prison, I managed to study and complete a diploma in public relations and I will be enrolling for further studies this year".