Patrick Nabanyana

Patrick Nabanyana was an MDC activist and campaign manager for MDC politician David Coltart .

On 19 June 2000, Nabanyana was abducted from his home in Nketa, Bulawayo by people believed to be war veterans, shortly before that year's general elections. He has not been seen since.

Soon after his abduction, police arrested a group of war veterans identified as the abductors. They were taken to court but did not stand trial as the Attorney General would not prosecute.

At a memorial service for Nabanyana held in July 2001, Coltart said the chances of Nabanyana being found alive were slim:

"The reality is that a year on, the chances of Patrick being alive are nil."^[1]

Nabanyana's family after Patricks Forced Disappearance

Nabanyana's wife Patricia told RadioVOP that her family were in poverty without him. She also said that she was failing to get a birth certificate for one of her children as the officials at the registrar's office were requesting a death certificate for her husband.

Before the split of the MDC I used to get assistance from the party especially from Coltart. Now nobody is looking after my family. I am struggling to put food on the table for my family of four.
Two of the children are doing secondary school and it is very difficult for me to raise school fees for the children. I have also, unsuccessfully, on numerous occasions tried to secure a birth certificate for our last born child.
Everybody knows that my husband was abducted and disappeared and I do not know how these people expect me to get the death certificate when it is known that this issue is politically related and therefore needs politicians to intervene.^[2]