Iain Kay

Service/Career

During the Second Chimurenga, Iain Kay served in the Rhodesian Security Forces as a member of the Selous Scouts. ^[4]

Farming - Kay took over Chipesa Farm when his father Jock died.

Political - In the 2005 elections, Iain Kay was one of five white people contesting for seats. He contested against Sydney Sekeramayi and lost in Marondera East Constituency.^[5]

In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Marondera Central returned to Parliament:

• Ray Kaukonde of Zanu PF with 9 378 votes or 53.00 percent,
• Iain Kay of MDC–T with 7 892 votes or 44.60 percent,
• Kudzanai Mandaza of MDC–N with 314 votes or 1.77 percent,
• 1 others with 112 votes or 0.63 percent.

Total 17 696 votes

Kay was suspended from MDC-T in 2013 after he described party leader Morgan Tsvangirai as a rusty bolt. ^[6]

Events

Farm Invasion

In 2002, Kay was severely assaulted and left for dead when Zanu PF supporters invaded and occupied his farm near Marondera. A policeman, Constable Tinashe Chikwenya, who tried to help Iain Kay, was shot dead by the invaders. The 120 people Kay employed and their 380 dependents were driven from their homes on the farm. ^[5]

Iain Kay was beaten by men who came wielding sticks with fan belts or barbed wire attached. He was dragged into the bush where he managed to escape and hide in the farm's dam until the men vanished.

His son was attacked and beaten so badly that skin was flayed from his backside.

Warning graphic pictures:

• 

  Ian Kay and his son were badly beaten by men who seized his land in 2002.(ABC News: Siobhan Heanue)

^[7]

2008

In the 2008 parliamentary election, Kay ran as the Movement for Democratic Change–T candidate for the newly created Marondera Central constituency. He won against Zanu PF candidate Peter Murwira.

In 2008, Ian Kay spent two weeks in remand prison on charges of inciting political violence. Police first issued an arrest warrant against him on 7 May and arrived at his home on 14 May 2008 to carry out the search.

The police informed Kay that they wanted to search his property because he was “allegedly taking pictures of a political nature and sending them outside the country.” When they did not find what they were looking for, the police told Kay to report to Marondera police station on 20 May. Kay complied, went to the station and after several hours was told that he would be detained, even though police did not initially bring any charges against him.

Kay was charged with inciting violence in Marondera. He was denied bail and remanded in custody for five days at St. Thomas prison in Marondera. Police later transferred him to Murehwa prison where he spent another week before being released on bail. A hearing for Kay’s case was scheduled for 4 August 2008.

On 4 August, Ian Kay appeared in court where his lawyers applied for the case to be dismissed. The ruling in the matter was reserved. Iain Kay’s lawyers requested the court to relax his bail conditions and return his passport, but the court refused to do so in a 6 August ruling. Kay was remanded out of custody to 19 August 2008.^[8]

References