Popular Zimbabwean comedian Samantha Kureya abducted and tortured
Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Popular Zimbabwean comedian, Samantha Kureya known as ‘Gonyeti’ was abducted, tortured, beaten and dumped early Thursday by alleged state agents following a skit about police brutality.
Just hours before the abduction, a threat of abduction and torture had been made against Kureya by one ‘Nomatter Magaya’, who accused Kureya of “using comedy to meddle in politics”, according to Kureya’s Facebook page.
Kureya is famous for political and socioeconomic satirical skits.
“At around 2200hrs, 21 August 2019, a group of unidentified, masked and armed men abducted Bustop TV (an online media house) comedian Samantha Kureya, popularly known as Gonyeti from her Mufakose home. The men did not produce any warrant or give reasons for the abduction. The men forced their way into the house and assaulted Samantha’s family members, including minors, in the process,” said MISA Zimbabwe, a media advocacy group.
PANA understands Kureya’s brother filed a police report of the abduction numbered RRB 4149688.
MISA Zimbabwe later confirmed that Kureya was found alive in the odd hours of Thursday morning but severely beaten.
The skit discussing police brutality was in reference to clashes last Friday between the police and protesters.
This was after protesters refused to leave Harare's central business district after the High Court of Zimbabwe upheld a ban on planned protests that were supposed to have happened in the downtown area.
“Heal Zimbabwe condemns the continued abduction of human rights activists by suspected state agents. On 21 August 2019, comedian Samantha Kureya was abducted from her home and tortured by alleged state agents,” local peace building organisation, Heal Zimbabwe, said.
“The abduction comes barely days after Samantha featured in a political satire skit that condemned the use of brute force by the police during the 16 August 2019 demonstration. The abduction of Samantha comes at a time when there has been a series of targeted abductions of mostly political activists.”
In February this year, Kureya and her colleague from Bustop TV were detained and fined for a 2016 satirical skit poking fun at police brutality.
During their brief detention, the Bustop TV pair were warned that their satirical skits were growing more political.
Both government and the police did not respond to efforts by PANA for a comment on the matter.
-0- PANA TZ/AR 22Aug2019
