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Herald Reporter
Unknown assailants yesterday morning allegedly abducted and assaulted former Zanu-PF Harare provincial youth chairperson Cde Jim Kunaka in Mbare before dumping him at a secluded place near Seke Road.

Cde Kunaka was by last night still admitted at the Avenues Clinic.

The assailants, who were reportedly driving a white Isuzu truck, allegedly arrived at Helping Hand near Carter House in Mbare where Cde Kunaka was at around 10.30am and demanded to see him privately.

“The four men demanded to see me and I obliged and when we were alone they told me that I was under arrest,” Cde Kunaka told The Herald last night.

“I demanded that they produce their identification cards and tell me the reason why they wanted to arrest me. None of them managed to do that and the next thing was that they wanted to forcibly handcuff me and I resisted.

“The scuffle we had saw people coming near to the scene and one of the assailants produced a pistol and fired a shot into the air, resulting in people fleeing.”

Cde Kunaka said the assailants then overpowered him and took him into their car where two other men were waiting. “The people took the registration number of the vehicle,” he said.

“Immediately after pushing me into the car, they blindfolded me and drove off.

“After travelling for some kilometres, they took me out of the car and started assaulting me using iron bars and they only left me after they heard the sound of a car. That’s when I realised I was in a bush near the Harare International Airport and I sought assistance and went to make a report at Harare Central Police Station.”

Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed to ZBC that a case of assault had been opened at Harare Central Police Station and investigations were under way.

Cde Kunaka said he suspected the attack was linked to politics, accusing Harare provincial youth chairperson Cde Godwin Gomwe of orchestrating the assault. But Cde Gomwe said he was unaware of the attack. “I only heard about that story when the NewsDay phoned me asking,” he said. “I am not linked to that in any way.”

Ousted Harare chairman Cde Amos Midzi is said to have assisted Cde Kunaka with money for medication.

Asked if he knew about the attack on Cde Kunaka, Cde Midzi said: “I only heard about that. Find out on your own.”

Cde Kunaka was last week implicated in factional fights that erupted in Harare South where Zanu-PF youths linked to the constituency’s legislator Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe ran amok and savagely attacked their opponents, leaving many injured.