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Youth Forum Gender and Human Rights Programmes Officer abducted
Zimbabwe Youth Forum
June 10, 2008

Glanis Changachirere, the Youth Forum gender and human rights programmes officer who is accomplishing her studies at Bindura University has been abducted at the campus in broad day light (3pm) by suspected ZANU PF militia masquerading as members of central intelligence office. She was abducted alongside three other students namely Tarlington Kwashira, a former student leader and the two other students Moses Chamisa and Clemence Saineti who demanded to see I.D cards from the self proclaimed CIOs.

The only form of evidence which they had to substantiate their claims with was their word of mouth and the pistols which they were holding as well as the authority which they had in terms of ordering students to go to their hostels before they shoot them. About 100 students who were coming from their lectures at that time had to disperse and go to their rooms leaving Glanis and the other three under the hands of the self proclaimed CIOs. All the eye witnesses were not in a position to elucidate on how the aforementioned were whisked away, all they could say was that they are not yet back, around 7pm when Youth Forum Information officer arrived at the scene. What was only sensed was that there was danger and insecurity as people repeatedly said, "be careful in your operations because what we have seen really shows that we are not in a safe zone", to the extent that most students were afraid to give an eye witness, vivid account despite their presence at the scene.

Kudakwashe Makoni, Glanis' roommate visited the police station, talked to sergeant Mlilo and inquired if Glanis had been brought there and upon checking they confirmed that they had not arrested anyone with that name neither did they ever had such intentions. He actually confessed that today they did not deal with any case to do with politics. What is worrisome is the fact that the gang leader was putting on ZANU PF tee-shirt and he was visibly drunk and he was repeatedly saying that "the whites will never rule this country."Bindura, small as it is there was no single familiar face among the 5 muscular men who abducted the quartet. This is the same way that the regime is eliminating people considering that it is also the same tactic that they used to abduct the late Tonderai Ndira, Godfrey Kauzani and Better Chokururama, to mention just a few.With a regime that is shameless enough to terrorise diplomats and winning presidential candidate, you never know what they are up to next.Our hope is only on divine intervention.

This against a backdrop of the activities which Youth Forum was carrying out in Bindura and Shamva, particularly the Go Vote Campaign in which the ZANU PF abductee was very instrumental before and during the March 29 harmonised election. Around 5am there was a thorugh search in Glanis room leading to the confiscation of Tee- shirts which were designed by Crisis Coalition written "My vote spoke . . . .",Youth Forum tee-shirts and its anti-dictatorship ten track album as well as ZINASU fliers.They later said they are going to deal with her, no-one is certain as to how they want to deal with her.This can be an anti-students and youths crusade considering the recent military address at Great Zimbabwe University and the arrest of Student Christian leaders and the confiscation of their vehicle, files and computers. And now there is an abduction of a vibrant youth leader.

Meanwhile a Student Solidarity Trust Rapid Response and Youth Forum team has been deployed in the area to Investigate Changachirere and the fellow abductees whereabouts.

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