James Chidhakwa
| James Chidhakwa | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Chidhakwa |
| Residence | Zimbabwe |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Citizenship | Zimbabwean |
| Occupation | S |
James Chidhakwa is a Zimbabwean political activist and a former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Member of Parliament. He is an Archiving Officer at Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe, according to his LinkedIn page.[1]
Personal Details
No information was found on his age, place of birth, or family.
School / Education
No information was found on his Junior or High School or any tertiary education.
Career
Chidhakwa held various positions in the MDC at various levels, from being a branch secretary to becoming the Ward Secretary. He served as the District Chairman in Mabvuku/Tafara.[2]
In 2011 he became Deputy Secretary for Security, Defence and Intelligence then Secretary for Security, Defence and Intelligence in 2012, and in 2014, he became Domestic Affairs Secretary.
In 2018, Chidhakwa was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Mabvuku/Tafara National Assembly constituency on an MDC Alliance ticket. That was after he was endorsed by the party's leader Nelson Chamisa ahead of incumbent MP James Maridadi.[3]
Arrest
He was arrested in October 2013 in connection with a fire at ZANU PF’s Highfield offices. Chidhakwa was taken from his offices to Harare Central Police Station where he was detained and charged under the Criminal Law Codification (and Reform) Act.[4]
Chidhakwa was arrested in February 2014 on allegations of assaulting the then party’s deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma. He was the MDC-T secretary for security and defence in the youth assembly when he allegedly assaulted Mangoma at Harvest House. Chidhakwa allegedly punched and slapped Mangoma all over his body. Mangoma allegedly bled from the nose, his shirt was torn and his spectacles worth US$300 were damaged. He was later whisked away in then MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai’s vehicle.[5]
Events
In June 2021, Chidhakwa supported a motion that was moved by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence Home Affairs and Security Services chairperson Retired Brigadier-General Levi Mayihlome to address some specific issues that were unsatisfactorily covered in the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act. It followed concerns that were raised by former Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) fighters on the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act Parliament (Chapter 17:12). Chidhakwa said the Ministry was taking too long to attend to the issues raised by the war veterans.[6]
Abduction
Chidhakwa was allegedly abducted, tortured and then dumped in Acturus on 23 October 2023 by unknown assailants. His party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), alleged that Chidhakwa was injected with an unknown substance, and subsequently dumped in Acturus at midnight by suspected state agents. His dreadlocks were reportedly shaved off using a sharp object.[7]
References
- ↑ James Chidhakwa, LinkedIn, Published: No Date was Given, Retrieved: 25 October 2023
- ↑ Elvis Dzvene, Hon James Chidakwa: one of the jewels of Zimbabwean youths, Spiked, Published: No Date was Given, Retrieved: 25 October 2023
- ↑ Allen Brown, Chamisa leaves Maridadi in the cold, iHarare, Published: 23 July 2018, Retrieved: 25 October 2023
- ↑ Another MDC-T member arrested over ZANU PF office fire, The Zimbabwean, Published: 15 October 2013, Retrieved: 25 October 2023
- ↑ Tendai Rupapa, Mangoma case: Suspect denied bail, The Herald1, Published: 25 February 2014, Retrieved: 25 October 2023
- ↑ Lulu Brenda Harris, Parliament debates ZPRA petition on war veterans act, CITE, Published: 03 June 2021, Retrieved: 25 October 2023
- ↑ Ex-MP James Chidhakwa abducted, tortured and injected with ‘substance’: CCC, ZimLive, Published: 24 October 2023, Retrieved: 25 October 2023
