Zimbabwe: ‘They put burning sticks in my mother’s mouth. They beat my father on the back and on the feet and with animal hid

The Campbells and Freeths are no strangers to aggression from Robert Mugabe’s thugs. But this time was different. After being tied up and kidnapped, they narrowly escaped with their lives from a nine-hour ordeal of beatings, torture and mock executions.

Mike Campbell, 75, his wife, Angela, 66, and their son-in-law, Ben Freeth were taken to a pungwe, one of the thousands of indoctrination meetings where people must chant pro-Mugabe slogans and are beaten if they fail.