A covert operation to silence dissenting voices in Zimbabwe is reportedly underway amid claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa intends to remain in power beyond 2028 when his second and final term ends.
Despite Mnangagwa’s repeated assertions that he will respect the Constitution and step down at the end of his term, <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zimbabwes-state-security-agencies-sniff-out-political-dissidents/">NewZimbabwe.com</a> has cited high-ranking Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), army intelligence, and police officials who claim a secretive and widespread operation is targeting outspoken individuals labelled as “political dissidents” across Zimbabwe.
The plan reportedly involves arresting and detaining key opposition figures, activists, and journalists on trumped-up charges ahead of ZANU PF’s congress in 2027. Said a source:
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This is part of an effort to stifle growing dissent ahead of crucial leadership renewal within ZANU PF at the 2027 congress, and subsequent elections in 2028.
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The source claims there is a list of prominent people who may face charges ranging from rape and murder to treason. Said the source:
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Among them are several key members of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), a party that has been gaining significant ground in the urban and rural strongholds alike.
Former Mkoba constituency Member of Parliament Amos Chibaya who is languishing in remand prison for allegedly inciting violence is one of their targets.
Other high-profile figures targeted include Tendai Biti, the outspoken lawyer who has long been a thorn in the side of the government.
Another notable figure on the wanted list is Joana Mamombe, a young opposition MP who has faced previous arrests.
She has been vocal on issues of human rights violations and the need for political reform, is reportedly being pursued for alleged subversive activities and links to foreign funders, a claim often used by the government to crack down on activists.
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Job Sikhala, a prominent defender of civil liberties who has been arrested over sixty times, is reportedly under surveillance. Added the source:
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Several human rights lawyers and activists are also being pursued. Some are Zimbabwe’s most renowned human rights defenders.
They have reportedly been marked for arrest while defending opposition figures in court.
Authorities allege they are part of a broader network attempting to undermine State institutions, though these claims have been met with widespread scepticism.
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The report also alleges that the undercover crackdown has extended beyond Zimbabwe’s borders, particularly targeting activists in the United Kingdom (UK) who have consistently organised protests against Mnangagwa.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Zimbabwe's president is trying to stay in power even after his term ends in 2028. He is targeting people who speak out against him, like opposition politicians and activists. Many of them may face false charges like rape or treason. The government is also going after human rights lawyers and activists who defend these dissenters. The crackdown is not just in Zimbabwe but also in the UK. The president is accused of trying to silence anyone who disagrees with him.

Zimbabwe’s State Security Agencies Target Political Dissenters In Covert Operation

Former dissidents say the Government should have included them in efforts to solve Gukurahundi alongside chiefs as they were the target of the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade.
This comes as traditional leaders prepare to hold community consultative meetings with Gukurahundi victims beginning this month.
The term “dissident” was used by the State in the 1980s to refer to ZIPRA liberation fighters, and some, who had joined the national army but either had left or deserted it for various reasons.
One of the ZANU founders, Enos Nkala, described dissidents as “Ndebeles who were calling for a second war of liberation and should be shot down.”
Speaking in an interview with <a href="https://cite.org.zw/ex-dissidents-advocate-for-inclusion-in-gukurahundi-hearings/">CITE</a>, a former dissident, Phumuza Ndlovu of Plumtree said those who were labelled dissidents should be included in efforts to solve Gukurahundi. Said Ndlovu:
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The government wants to involve chiefs who were not there. If they wanted chiefs to take a lead role they should also have included other groups such as dissidents as we were the ones who were hunted down when people were killed.
How will the chiefs who were not present during Gukurahundi respond to the people?
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Ndlovu claimed to be a dissident because ZANU leaders who wanted to control the country labelled ZAPU supporters and ZPRA fighters as such. He said:
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When Zimbabwe was liberated in 1980, we expected it to be led by both the structures and principles of ZAPU and ZANU, with the national army governed by ZPRA and ZANLA, but instead, the country adopted the repressive laws of the white colonial system that we had fought.
For example, the White army that we had been fighting was now leading us in the integration process.
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Ndlovu claimed that after independence, he joined the Three Brigade army’s canine section in Mutare.
He said he and other ZPRA members were labelled dissidents before they even deserted. Said Ndlovu:
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The crux of the issue is that what we hoped and expected to happen in the new Zimbabwe did not happen.
The whites’ repressive system was adopted, which caused comrades to desert the rules because ZAPU and ZPRA members were being killed one by one.
Our army commanders, the late Lookout Masuku and Dumiso Dabengwa were arrested, and ZANU went after everyone, looking for weapons allegedly hidden by ZPRA members.
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Ndlovu stated he and other victims were planning to form an organisation called the Matabeleland Tribal War Victims Association (MTWVA).
He said the association will engage communities, as relevant stakeholders in the resolution of Gukurahundi.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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