By Staff Reporter

TWO MDC-T activists serving 20-year jail terms each for killing a police officer have accused the opposition party of neglecting them.

Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere were, together with Yvonne Musaraurwa, convicted in September 2016 for the murder of ZRP Inspector Petros Mutedzi in Harare’s Glen View area back in 2012.

Musarurwa was released last year after benefiting from a presidential amnesty aimed at easing congestion in the country’s prisons.

All three still maintain that they are innocent and condemn their conviction is a miscarriage of justice.

In an interview at Chikurubi Maximum Prison this Sunday, Maengehama and Madzoke complained that oppositions colleagues had turned their backs on them.

They said not a single party member visited them during the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Family Week which ended at the weekend.

The only notable visitor was ex-convict Musarurwa.

“Life here has not been easy like any prison life, but what pains most is how the party has turned its back from us,” said a visibly dejected Maengahama.

“While we may not need much from them (opposition party), a visit from the leadership would mean a lot for us.”

Madzokere lamented the plight of their families saying they are now living in abject poverty.

“They (families) last received some groceries during the festive season and things are going from bad to worse every day,” he said.

The duo added that they used to get some basics and medication from the Counselling and Support Unit (CSU), but the organisation’s funding was cut earlier this year.

“We used to get assistance from CSU but that has since stopped. We heard that USAiD cut funding,” said Maengahama.

“We don’t what can be done so that we are released; we did not commit the crime we are serving time in jail for.”

Musarurwa they will continue fighting to clear their names.

“For now, there is nothing much I can do to clear my name since my fellow comrades are still in,” said Musarurwa.

“Once the two are released, together we will fight to clear our names because our conviction is a miscarriage of justice in the judicial history of the country.”