Introduction Latest News Biography Historical Background Political Prisoner Status The Crime The Conviction Conditions At Chikurubi Personal Abuses Deaf Ears How You Can Help Conclusion E-Mail

Political Prisoners in Zimbabwe   [17th July 2002] Last month, in response to a request for support, former President Nelson Mandela’s office told the Harare 3 Campaign that he was too busy to help us. Today, the newspaper Scotsman discovers what he was too busy doing.   [9 July 2002] An interesting document came to light which is reproduced below. Please also refer back to the entry for 10 December 2001. Perhaps now the British Government will finally accept its responsibilities towards Mike.   The Registrar General of Citizenship Private Bag 7734 Causeway HARARE   Attn: Mrs L. Pfidze   20 March 1990   MR MICHAEL ANTHONY SMITH   The British High Commission confirm that Mr. Michael Anthony Smith, born in Bulawayo on 27 October 1953, has a claim to British Citizenship. Mr Smith is of legitimate descent from a natural United Kingdom born father, and was a Citizen of The United Kingdom and Colonies at birth under Section 5(1) of The British Nationality Act, 1948. On 1 January 1983, Mr Smith became a British Citizen under Section 11(1) of The British Nationality Act 1981. The British High Commission further confirm that Mr Smith would be entitled to hold a British passport and qualify for permanent Right of Abode in The United Kingdom.   Yours faithfully   D G Tunstall First Secretary (Consular)   [28 June 2002] Mike as usual in reasonable spirits, but full of a head cold, frostbite on his fingers and they have taken away his muesli ration which he was granted permission to receive from his family since his hemorrhoid operation.   [30 April 2002] The state-controlled newspaper The Herald publishes an article saying that nearly 1,500 prisoners are being released early under an amnesty, including those serving sentences for murdering babies. The Harare 3 were specifically excluded from this amnesty “because of the nature of their crimes”.   [14 February 2002] The Daily News, Zimbabwe’s independent newspaper, reports that Kevin’s Supreme Court application for medical treatment had been postponed indefinitely.   [19 January 2002] Message from Mike Smith: To all my friends, old and new. Thank you for the cards and letters you sent to me over the Christmas period. Your messages of support and your prayers are truly appreciated.   [24 December 2001] They are now having problems with lice. The cooking boilers are working again but still no bread and now no eggs, potatoes, tomatoes or the medical issue of two toilet rolls per month (normal issue is 1!). The reason given is that there will be no money until the new financial year. Mike has two broken teeth, and he is being denied dental treatment. Their latest excuse is that there is no anaesthetic.   [10 December 2001] Lady Valerie Amos, British Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for African affairs writes in a letter to Mr Richard Ottaway MP: We have been unable to verify whether Mr Smith is a British national because neither he nor his family have provided our consular staff with any proof. If Mr Smith wishes continued assistance from our High Commission, I strongly advise that he ask his family to forward the papers he claims they hold which prove his British nationality.   [21 November 2001] Well, things go from bad to worse in Chikurubi. You wouldn't believe that the place could actually deteriorate, would you? -ed The prison has not provided bread for the prisoners for some time because the prison has no money to pay for bread - the delivery truck is sent away each day. Last week, one of the Harare 3's South African lawyers, Mnr Adolf Malan, was refused permission to see them. The South African High Commission in Harare was later told that the food parcel Mnr Malan had brought for the prisoners would have to "wait until Christmas". The parcel contained toothpaste, soap, soft drinks and dried fruit, which they need. There are 25 prisoners to each cell measuring 9 yards by 4, and each cell gets one tube of toothpaste and one small bar of soap per month to clean not just the 25 prisoners but their clothing too. The food in the prison is now being cooked over open fires because the cooking boilers have broken down.   [29 October 2001] For having the temerity to defend themselves against the falsehoods published in the state-controlled Sunday Mail, Mike and Kevin have been subjected to harassment by the prison authorities. - ed. The legal team had sent copies of the prisoners' statements to the Minister with a letter objecting to the Sunday Mail article. The letter was forwarded to the prison and Kevin and Mike had been called in to explain how the statements had been made. Kevin said he'd made a few notes while his lawyers were there and handed them to them in the presence of the warder. Mike, who went in separately, said that he'd prepared his beforehand. That's what caused the problem. The two were then subjected to a thorough search, with four warders assigned to each of them, while other prisoners were subjected to a cursory search. Letters that had been cleared by the censor's office were seized, as were their address books and papers filed at court for Kevin's medical application. The blankets of all the prisoners in their cell were mixed up so that the two got blankets that had been used by other prisoners. Kevin then wrote a letter to his legal team marked "Urgent" complaining about harassment. Until the letter was written, they'd had no wholemeal bread (which Kevin needs) for some time. They'd been going for hours on end without water because the prison's water bill hasn't been paid. Imagine 2,500 prisoners obliged to go without water for 8 - 10 hours at a time! The warders also broke bottles that some of the prisoners were using to store water in.   Visits to Kevin and Mike are now subject to approval from prison headquarters and are monitored even more closely than they were previously. Only last week, there was again no water and, because of the shortages created by price controls, prisoners had not had bread for two weeks.   [10 September 2001] Once again the Zimbabwean state-controlled Sunday Mail has printed lies in it's 9th September 2001 issue, and this time, it has chosen to defame the Harare 3 Campaign. Read their article for yourself - you can find it at the following URL: www.sundaymail.co.zw. Where on our site do you see any message asking for donations of any kind? If you email us and ask how you can help, we are always pleased to advise, but never have we asked anyone for money. Furthermore, this Campaign's UK branch is not co-ordinated by "other Rhodesians in England". We are British and Irish Human Rights campaigners who believe that everyone has a right to be treated in accordance with internationally agreed standards of dignity and humanity, regardless of whether they are prisoners or not. - ed.   [4 September 2001] Further to the falsified report in the Zimbabwean state-controlled Sunday Mail dated 1st September 2001 which was subsequently taken up by other newspapers in South Africa and elsewhere, below are rebuttals from the prisoners who have been used as pawns in the ongoing catastrophe that is enveloping Zimbabwe. - ed. Mike:"After talking to journalists for more than an hour, the only two true facts to appear in the Sunday Mail article were that I was in the SAS and a farm manger at Balwearie Estates. I had no knowledge of SZAPU activities and certainly no involvement with them. I said I was farming in Matabeleland at the time & dissident activities made it no different from the war years. Farmers were being killed and as a result were supportive of the Government, even assisting in follow-up operations. Farming was not a front, it was my full time occupation. Agreeing to assist the SADF against the ANC was a minor role - 3 actions in 5 years. I definitely never said I was not sorry for my actions. When asked to speak freely I said "I want to take this opportunity to say again that I am sorry for the destabilisation our actions (against the SA ANC) caused the Government and people of Zimbabwe & I'm sorry for the death of an innocent civilian as a result of one of the actions". Everything else quoted is untrue and I never said it. Other things I did say - all our actions were against the ANC only, some of the actions were carried out by the SADF & we provided assistance. ANC attacks against soft targets in SA and my strong feelings against communism were my motivation, as well as having strong family ties with SA & being SA by descent. Zimbabwe agreed to assist the ANC and PAC & therefore became part of the conflict yet we are the only people never to have benefited from any political amnesties or the Truth Commission. I never mentioned any names except to say I hadn't heard from Kit for 14 years. Told them I had no ill feelings against anyone, that I was supportive of the present SA Government & thankful to them for all their efforts on our behalf. The article is an obvious political ploy to remove blame from Government and 5th Brigade ahead of elections and cast it on ourselves, SA and Super Zapu. I was thankful for the opportunity to tell our story and say some sorrys and thank yous yet again. Instead 90% of what was written I never said and is not true, as well as painting a false picture & probably taken away any possibility of release for the foreseeable future. The article was deceitful, unjust and a gross violation. Philip: We have nothing in writing from him but he denied the words attributed to him. He said he broke down because he was talking about his illness. Both he and Kevin confirm that he knew nothing about SZ activities - he wasn't even in Matabeleland! Kevin:"I am very disturbed at the distortion and fabrication that appeared in the Sunday Mail after the interview with Philip Magwaza. I will never again be interviewed without a tape recording. I did not say Smith was responsible for logistics for Super ZAPU. I did not say I hatched the SZ plot because both are patently untrue. I said McCalloway was i/c SZ. I did not say any white farmers in Zimbabwe assisted SZ. I did not mention a Mr Puzey. I explained SZ and how I came to learn of them through their ammo and interrogations. I told Philip SZ killed many commercial farmers. I did not mention the murder of Father Knoeri - which I cannot even specifically recollect. I said SZ were responsible for many atrocities blamed on 5th Brigade and CIO, confirmed through ammo and interrogation of captures. ZAPU arms cache 70 tons - just outside an occupied assembly point. No way I could have cached it. What about the caches at Gwaai, Ascot, Castle Arms etc? I never found them. I did not detain DD. I have never met or spoken to him. I uncovered the cache in 1981 before joining CIO and assisting SA. DD was arrested and detained obviously on orders from the top. I never said the white community knew of my activities. I never said my lawyers knew of my activities. I did not mention David Coltart. I never mentioned the LRF or the CCJP IN ANY CONTEXT. Looking fit. I don't look fit and certainly don't feel fit. I never said whites sympathetic to Mugabe were eliminated & Roberts was not raised - neither was Thornhill. That arms were planted on farms by whites who later gave information to the authorities is news to me. I did not say I was sorry for the role I played. I apologised for the destabilisation & insecurity & for the death of Mwanza & pointed out I was not even in Zimbabwe at the time of that operation. I did say: I am a bona fide SA citizen, I fought only ANC and did nothing to Zimbabwe, was Mugabe's close security at the Trade Fair in Bulawayo 82-86. Agreed I was a threat back then. That war, that era, that motivation is over -therefore who am I a threat to?   [23rd July 2001] Kevin Woods has recently applied to the Supreme Court in Zimbabwe to be transferred to prison in South Africa, where it will be possible for him to obtain the surgical treatment necessary to prolong his life. Below is a letter from him on the progress of the case. The testimony of Kevin's cardiologist, is to be found immediately below this item. - ed. Hello Friends, I have received the reply to my heart application. In his statement this Justice Minister (Patrick Chinamasa) says the following things. 1. "Woods changed his citizenship in 1994 in order to benefit from arrangements made between former South African President Mandela and President Mugabe for their release - he is therefore not a bona fide South African. He has been making noises about transfer to South Africa where his former masters are and where he knows he will be released. (This is a gross insult to Thabo Mbeki. The ANC will decide my fate - not my former masters). 2. The applicant was not in solitary confinement on death row. 3. He has no right whatsoever to release or transfer on grounds of health. 4. In all his petitions he has not deserved clemency. 5. It is my firm submission that he should serve his term of imprisonment. 6. His alleged stress is self-inflicted. 7. Public interest demands that he remain in prison for life. 8. Release is out of the question. 9. It cannot be forgotten that he is a murderer. 10. He has no heart problem. 11. He must be grateful to fate that his death sentence was not carried out. 12. Release is unthinkable and must be denied". NICE HEY? Cheers old friends, Woodsie   [7th May 2001] Parirenyatwa Hospital P O Box CY 198 Causeway Mr Woods is very well known to me. I have been involved in his care for many years. I will recap the main points. Mr Woods has Chest Pain that is suggestive of coronary heart disease. He has had a Myocardial perfusion scan, which showed probable impaired blood flow to cardiac muscle. This is most likely due to a narrowed artery in the heart. His ECG's are not diagnostic of Coronary Artery disease, but the ECG is not a very good test, having a false negative rate of about 30% and a false positive rate of about 25%. In my opinion, he needs to have a coronary angiogram, which is a specialised test that studies the arteries in the heart. If there are blockages or narrowing's, then he could need surgery to repair the problem. The test would be done in South Africa. If he does not have one, there is a possibility that he would suffer a Cardiac Event such as Sudden Cardiac Death, Myocardial infarction (heart attack), Heart Failure, which might be preventable. The tests and treatments are not currently available in Zimbabwe. They are not likely to become available within the next few years.   [4th December 2000] Season's Greetings From Chikurubi   [2nd December 2000] Rapport, a South African Sunday newspaper reported the following: "Conjwayo has prostate cancer and it is feared that he is dying of it." Surely Philip's sentence should be set aside on compassionate grounds? As an elderly man dying from cancer, he is no threat to anyone. It would be a great comfort for him and his family if he were allowed to die in their embrace. - ed.   [23rd November 2000] The following is an extract from a letter which details Kevin Woods medical condition as diagnosed by the heart specialist. Mr Woods has classical symptoms of coronary angina, which if left untreated is a deadly ailment. He has a moderate to serious chance of suffering an acute cardiac event. Medical tests indicate it is likely he has suffered a prior mild heart attack. Medical tests indicate a reversible myocardial ischemia within the septum of the heart. Tests also clearly show a fixed perfusion defect of the interior wall of the heart. Clinical practice dictates he should undergo a coronary angiogram which would allow the cardiologist to initiate revascularisation therapy - failure to initiate revascularisation therapy will result in long term loss of function of the heart. The coronary angiogram is not available in Zimbabwe. It is available in South Africa. Note: Kevin Woods is being denied this treatment by the Zimbabwean Government. - ed. Financial Gazette National Report Saboteur pleads for transfer to SA jail   [27th September 2000] I had a bit of a fright a month or so back, with numb fingers & lips & blurred vision. The treatment was an Aspirin - wonderful, hey? Cheers, Kevin   [3rd August 2000] Due to the catastrophic decline in the Zimbabwean economy and the attendant collapse of infrastructure, the quality and quantity of food has decreased still further. The mail service is also failing, often resulting in mail being lost.   [17th July 2000] Dear Friends, Today I was served with official notification that my petitions for clemency to President Mugabe (1996, 1997, 1998) "Have been perused and refused". This is the first official notification ever received confirming rejection - other previous rumours have been via the media; Whilst I have never really expected benevolence from these people, it is nevertheless, a bitter pill. I assess this rejection as a last vindictive twist of the knife by the outgoing Minister of Justice, Emerson Mnagagwa, as an act of cruelty (because surely I am not being further imprisoned in the public interest or for security reasons - the war being long over). No news yet re petitions for Conjwayo/Smith. My refusal notice was not dated, no reasons given and the Justice Dept official who dealt with it not named. I have not given up - I want you to know that. It is very hard now. I am trying to get through this day by day. I am trying to get to the end. I am not giving up on anything. I want as much left as possible, of life, if I get the chance to start again. Thank you all. Kevin   [1st April 2000] The most satisfying thing to happen to me since 1988 was the issue, a few weeks ago, of my South African passport. (Okay, I've had SA passports before, plenty of them, but it's nice to have a legit one). At long, long last I have a gratifying feeling to belong! I'm a legitemate South African by descent but it took an ANC government to recognise that - the former National Party cowards just ignored my please to belong - all kudos to the ANC All the best Kevin   [8th December 1999] Barry Bawden was released having served eleven years of his twenty-five year sentence, and deported to South Africa. Barry is now living there, and devoting much of his time to meeting politicians and officials in a bid to gain support for the release of his three friends who remain in Chikurubi.   [2nd August 1999] They were permitted a visit from Senator Ross Lightfoot of Western Australia, who had been trying to gain clearance for the visit for several years. Senator Lightfoot has apparently now lost interest in their case, presumably because there is no political capital to be gained from it.