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HARARE – A mystery surrounds the fate of a retired army colonel allegedly abducted at his home Sunday afternoon by masked men – while he was supposed to testify before an official investigation on the investigation of the shooting that cost the life after the elections at least six civilians.
To add to the plot, Elliot Piki, 58, was a misplaced candidate in the primary elections for the capital Harare South organized by Zanu PF and won by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's nephew, Tongai.
Piki's family told the Daily News yesterday that he was kidnapped – in order to prevent him from testifying at the August 1 Commission of Inquiry into the assassinations chaired by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe.
"I heard that he had been receiving threatening calls from a NetOne line for almost a week and when he came out to find out the number, this one did not come back. Was not registered.
"The threatening calls continued during which he was told not to testify before the commission. He was supposed to testify today (yesterday) … but the people who took him were heard asking him what he wanted to win to support (the opposition leader, Nelson) Chamisa.
"We have the invitation of the commission (…) and we have heard nothing about it, although we have reported the case to the Waterfalls Police Station (RRB number 3784040) ", said the son of Piki, Daniel.
However, the spokesman of the investigation, John Masuku, said yesterday that the name of Piki was not on the list of people who had to testify before the investigation.
"I asked the commissioners and they said that he was not on the list," Masuku said.
According to eyewitnesses, an unregistered gray Toyota Hilux stopped on Sunday afternoon at the Piki residence in South Harare, where four men had a brief conversation with the retired soldier before the "suddenly" bundled up in their bakkie and away.
"Around 4 pm, four people in a gray D4D came to his house. There is a butcher shop and shop at his house … and he was there to play checkers with a young man who lives there too.
"One of the four guys came and went to the place where the two were sitting. They spoke briefly before being joined by the three others who were now wearing masks.
"When he tried to resist, they fired two shots and forced him to get into their car before gaining speed.
"During his abduction, he was wearing a blue jersey and several people testified about it for the abduction," said one eyewitness to the Daily News.
Piki's family has since called on Zimbabwean human rights lawyers (ZLHR) to find the retired officer, who would have liked to use his military expertise to help the commission unravel the murders of the 1st. August.
"I just got the treatment request, so I do not have much to say," ZLHR's Jeremiah Bhamu said.
The MDC later stated in a statement that Piki had submitted a damning report to the investigation commission chaired by Motlanthe.
"Piki … has submitted a damning document exposing the government of Zanu PF to the August 1 shooting. The MDC condemns the continued use of force, violence and abductions by the state.
"This modus operandi reminds us of the scary removal and disappearance of Itai Dzamara more than four years ago. So far, we have not seen or heard it, "said MDC spokesman Jacob Mafume.
Yesterday, several other people interviewed by the Daily News also claimed that the ex-soldier wanted to "reverse the situation", along with former Zanu PF activists Jim Kunaka and Shadreck Mashayamombe, at their appearing before the committee last week. .
Mashayamombe and Kunaka, both of whom were fired from Zanu PF after the fall of power of former President Robert Mugabe during a military coup last November, called the Zanu PF and his government violent and violent. bad guys.
Mnangagwa charged the investigation into the killings in September with investigating the August 1 deaths, which had undermined the relatively peaceful national elections of July 30, which had been widely praised so far.
In addition to Motlanthe, the other members of the investigation are academics Lovemore Madhuku and Charity Manyeruke, the former president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ), Vimbai Nyemba, the United Kingdom Rodney Dixon, l 39, former head of the Tanzanian Defense Forces and Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, Nigeria.
The elements of the investigation have been heated in recent weeks after the testimony of security chiefs and the absolut of the obligation to kill the military.
Defense Force Commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda and Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga also appear to be accusing the MDC and Chamisa of the deaths.
Last week, temperatures rose further when Mashayamombe and Kunaka reported on "wrongful crimes and violations" which they claimed were part of Zanu PF's life.
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