(Last Updated on September 26, 2020 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – The MDC-Alliance Assembly of Women (AOW) and the Youth Assembly have issued statements strongly condemning the continued harassment and persecution of Harare West MP, Joana Mamombe who was on Thursday ordered to spend two weeks in prison while being mentally assessed.
Magistrate Bianca Makwande ordered Mamombe to be examined in the next two weeks while in prison to determine if she is mentally fit to go on trial, a move that has drawn a lot of criticism locally and internationally with many blasting the courts for such unthoughtful decisions.
Joana was admitted at Borrowdale Halfway House as she was suffering from “anxiety disorders” resulting from the abduction, torture and subsequent harassment by the state. A psychiatrist, Dr Fungai Mazhandu testified that Mamombe was unfit to stand on trial at the moment as she was currently under medical supervision.
“The MDC-Alliance Assembly of Women (AOW) notes with great concern the continued harassment of Harare West MP Hon. Joana Mamombe by the state.”
“From the time she was abducted, tortured and sexually abused by the state security together with Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, the trio have never been treated justly by the the government,” read part of the statement by the opposition party’s women assembly.
The MDC-Alliance Women’s Assembly also questioned the selective application of the law, highlighting that Priscah Mupfumira who is facing corruption charges is out on bail after pleading with the Court that she was not mentally fit to stand trial.
In Mupfumira’s case, her personal psychiatrist’ testimony was sufficient to convince the judge while in Joanna’s case, the state has even sought that she be examined by state doctors.
The Youth Assembly equated the current harassment of the MDC-Alliance MP to that of the slavery era.
“This regime has mistreated women worse than in the dark ages of slave trade era where women were raped, bashed and then yoked as animals in plantation farms.”
Joana is being charged with faking her abduction together with two other MDC-Alliance female activists, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri.
The state has tried all tricks to discredit the trio since they reported the allegedly abductions and torture back in May.
Recently a poorly choreographed video was run on the national TV trying to disprove that the three had been abducted by suspected state security agents.
Last week, Mamombe’s lawyers had to fight for a cancelation of the a warrant of arrest issued against Mamombe after she failed to attend court because she was hospitalised.
