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Two-year-old boy in solitary confinement in Zimbabwe prison
by Scott Gilbreath ~ January 13th, 2009
This is Nigel Mutemagau, who is now being held in solitary confinement in Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe. He was taken into custody with his parents nearly three months ago by Zimbabwe’s secret police, the Central Intelligence Organisation.
Nigel’s parents are facing charges of recruiting “bandits” to topple Robert Mugabe’s government, the same charges Jestina Mukoko is facing. These allegations have been widely dismissed as baseless. Recently the South African president, who is also the Chairman of SADC [Southern African Development Community], said of the allegations, “We never believed that.”
Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, where two year old Nigel is being kept in solitary confinement, is notorious for its atrocious conditions even during Zimbabwe’s better days. Now however, the conditions are much worse. Prison authorities do not have enough food to feed the inmates. They are struggling to make ends meet, much like the rest of Zimbabwe’s public sector. Against this background, the prison authorities say that they have been given instructions not to allow food to be brought to the inmates (including to children) from the outside. No visits from relatives are allowed for these particular prisoners, including for 2 year old Nigel. Even lawyers struggle to gain access and when they do, there is always a state official present.
Last week, it was reported that Nigel has been beaten and denied medical attention.
Zimbabwean blogger Denford Magora has started a petition calling for Nigel to be freed and given access to Child Welfare services. Mr Magora plans to hand the petition to the Attorney General of Zimbabwe on Thursday, 15 January.
Robert Mugabe has done many brutal and callous deeds during his long and thuggish career, but this is beyond the pale. Consigning a two-year-old toddler to live alone in a cold jail cell is the work of a heartlessly cruel and depraved sadist. When will Zimbabwe be rid of this monster?
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