THE opposition MDC Alliance yesterday absolved its national council member Tendai Masotsha of assisting State security agents in the alleged abduction and torture of a university student Tawanda Muchehiwa in Bulawayo in July this year. BY BLESSED MHLANGA Masotsha had been accused of collaborating with State security agents in the abduction of Muchehiwa, which sparked public outrage and forced the main opposition party to investigate her. The abduction was also alleged to have been carried out using a car from Impala Car Hire. MDC Alliance secretary for presidential affairs Jameson Timba told journalists in Harare that in their investigations, the party had not found any incriminating evidence to link Masotsha to the abduction. “It is the sense of the committee based on evidence before it and on the balance of probability that Tendai Masotsha, Tawanda Muchehiwa and Mduduzi Mathuthu were victims of a well-orchestrated State-sponsored intelligence operation to thwart the July 31 protests by scaring off citizens from peacefully expressing themselves,” Timba said. “The committee noted that it was common cause that Muchehiwa was abducted by agents of the State. The evidence of his abduction was captured on a video. Impala Car Rentals has the evidence of those who hired the vehicles that carried out the abduction. Muchehiwa’s release was forced on the abductors by a court order,” he said. The MDC Alliance said it had obtained audio evidence that revealed that some State security agents had set up a surveillance team around Muchehiwa way before he met Masotsha. “It appears, therefore, on the face of it that State agents had put Muchehiwa under surveillance over a long period of time and before he had met with Masotsha. This evidence is also corroborated by the written submissions made by Masotsha,” Timba said. He then called for justice on the case of Harare West MP Joanah Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova and the missing activist Itai Dzamara who were also allegedly abducted and tortured by State security agents. “We continue to demand that the State bring back Itai Dzamara,” Timba said.