Tonderai Ndira
Encyclopedia
Tonderai Ndira was a Zimbabwe
an political dissident murder
ed in May 2008.
Ndira lived in the township of Mabvuku and Tafara
, east of the capital, Harare, and was a "prominent activist" member of the Movement for Democratic Change
. He was described by some as a human rights
campaigner as "a youth activist who went around the country holding workshops and teaching people their rights". He had a wife and three young children.
He was arrested on thirty-five occasions, and was reportedly described by his followers as "Zimbabwe's Steve Biko
".
The Sunday Herald
reported:
Ndira (and his brother Barnabas) were identified as two of roughly 40 youths who perpetrated the brutal attack in 2006 against MP Trudy Stevenson
and three other members of the splinter pro-Senate MDC-M
leader, Professor Arthur Mutambara
, after holding meetings in Mabvuku.Five other attackers besides the Ndira brothers were positively identified: Wilson Goliath; Munyaradzi aka Lecturer; Petty Zambezi aka Mai Danken; Norman Hanyani; and Tendai aka Chigubhu.
He was abducted from his home by ten armed men early in the morning of 13 May 2008, in the context of campaigning between the two rounds of the 2008 presidential election
. His body was found later in the month; it was reported that he had been shot in the heart, with multiple stab wounds, his eyes gouged, his tongue cut out, and his neck, skull, jaw and knuckles broken. The Sunday Herald stated that he had been "murdered by government
death squad
s", and added:
The autopsy's preliminary report failed to identify a cause of death. It showed that the damage to Ndira's body was due to decomposition rather than torture; due to the amount of time necessary for this degree of decomposition, it was believed that he was killed promptly after being abducted.
three days later. MDC party president Morgan Tsvangirai
, who had returned to Zimbabwe shortly beforehand, presided over the funeral and described Ndira's killing as "a clear testimony of the callousness of this regime", vowing to defeat Mugabe in the election despite such violence.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an political dissident murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed in May 2008.
Ndira lived in the township of Mabvuku and Tafara
Mabvuku
Mabvuku is a high density suburb some 17 km east of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.Its classified as a suburb or township of Harare, with Harare City Council constituting local government....
, east of the capital, Harare, and was a "prominent activist" member of the Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
. He was described by some as a human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
campaigner as "a youth activist who went around the country holding workshops and teaching people their rights". He had a wife and three young children.
He was arrested on thirty-five occasions, and was reportedly described by his followers as "Zimbabwe's Steve Biko
Steve Biko
Stephen Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the...
".
The Sunday Herald
Sunday Herald
The Sunday Herald is a Scottish Sunday newspaper launched on 7 February 1999. The ABC audited circulation in April 2011 showed sales of 31,123.From the start it has combined a centre-left stance with support for Scottish devolution...
reported:
- "Ndira was legendary in Zimbabwe for his exploits. Once when police were hot on his tail, he famously joined the police search for himself, establishing himself at the heart of the search party without the police ever realising."
Ndira (and his brother Barnabas) were identified as two of roughly 40 youths who perpetrated the brutal attack in 2006 against MP Trudy Stevenson
Trudy Stevenson
Trudy Stevenson is a Zimbabwean politician. She was Member of Parliament for Harare North in the Parliament of Zimbabwe...
and three other members of the splinter pro-Senate MDC-M
Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara
The Movement for Democratic Change — Mutambara is a Zimbabwean political party led by Welshman Ncube.-Foundation:The Movement for Democratic Change was founded in 1999 as an opposition party to the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front party led by President Robert Mugabe...
leader, Professor Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara is a Zimbabwean politician. He became the President of the Movement for Democratic Change-Mutambara faction in February 2006. He has worked as the Managing Director and CEO of Africa Technology and Business Institute since September 2003...
, after holding meetings in Mabvuku.Five other attackers besides the Ndira brothers were positively identified: Wilson Goliath; Munyaradzi aka Lecturer; Petty Zambezi aka Mai Danken; Norman Hanyani; and Tendai aka Chigubhu.
He was abducted from his home by ten armed men early in the morning of 13 May 2008, in the context of campaigning between the two rounds of the 2008 presidential election
Zimbabwean presidential election, 2008
The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on 29 March 2008. The three major candidates were incumbent President Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front , Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change , and...
. His body was found later in the month; it was reported that he had been shot in the heart, with multiple stab wounds, his eyes gouged, his tongue cut out, and his neck, skull, jaw and knuckles broken. The Sunday Herald stated that he had been "murdered by government
Politics of Zimbabwe
Politics of Zimbabwe takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic, whereby the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government...
death squad
Death squad
A death squad is an armed military, police, insurgent, or terrorist squad that conducts extrajudicial killings, assassinations, and forced disappearances of persons as part of a war, insurgency or terror campaign...
s", and added:
- "Ndira's fate has been shared by scores of opposition supporters in recent weeks. He was targeted because of his celebrityCelebrityA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and because fear is exactly what the generals and security chiefs of 84-year-old MugabeRobert MugabeRobert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
are counting on, as they try to overturn the first-round defeat that saw at least 56% of Zimbabwe's people vote against the only head of state they have known since independence."
The autopsy's preliminary report failed to identify a cause of death. It showed that the damage to Ndira's body was due to decomposition rather than torture; due to the amount of time necessary for this degree of decomposition, it was believed that he was killed promptly after being abducted.
Posthumous
Following the discovery of his body on 22 May, Ndira was buried at Warren Hills Cemetery in HarareHarare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
three days later. MDC party president Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009...
, who had returned to Zimbabwe shortly beforehand, presided over the funeral and described Ndira's killing as "a clear testimony of the callousness of this regime", vowing to defeat Mugabe in the election despite such violence.