AN ex-soldier yesterday said he is bitter about his 14-month incarceration for actively participating in the structures of the MDC-T after quitting the army in 2006.
Nqobile Bhebhe CHIEF REPORTER Hapson Ncube said he was the MDC-T Cowdry Park youth chairperson at the time of his arrest and persecution last year for his ties with the main opposition party.
Ncube, a former army private, said he was arrested on January 3 2013 and court marshalled on March 12 on charges of desertion and active participation in opposition politics. He was slapped with a 14-month jail term. Ncube said he was jailed under “D Class” which is a category for dangerous criminals.
“Trouble started when I tendered my resignation to the army in 2006,” Ncube said. “My resignation was rejected on the grounds that no army member should leave, but I left and went to South Africa. It was in South Africa that I got actively involved in MDC-T and returned to Zimbabwe to become Cowdry Park youth chairperson.”
Ncube said he did time in several prisons from Khami Maximum Prison, through Masvingo, Hurungwe, Karoi and Beitbridge Prison. He said he would not quit politics now that he is a free man, but will pick up his life and continue to fight for change.
“Now that I have been released, I will seek audience with the (MDC-T) provincial leadership. I am still actively involved in politics and have resumed my duties as youth chairperson.
“The July 31 elections results broke my heart as I firmly believed that MDC-T would form the new government,” he said.
MDC-T included Ncube’s imprisonment in the dossier the party sent to Sadc chronicling events of politically-motivated violence and violations of election guidelines.
