from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – ARSONISTS have burnt down a venue that was to host a press conference by a civil society group of Zimbabweans opposed to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 2030 term extension.
The seminar room at the Southern Africa Political Economy Series (SAPES) Trust building in Harare was burnt down and a security guard abducted when unidentified men pounced in the early hours of Tuesday.
In a linked incident, the home of Gilbert Bgwende, a member of the Constitutional Defence Forum, was also burnt down in the high-density suburb of Highfields in the capital.
Dr Ibbo Mndaza, head of the SAPES Trust, confirmed the incident.
“This is to announce that there’s been another arson attack at SAPES Trust at midnight, with the PanAfrika Restaurant on fire and the security staff overtaken by a group of armed attackers,” he said.
Mandaza said this was the second attack, with the first suffered in August 2023 ahead of the controversial elections that retained Mnangagwa in power.
Recently, Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) resolved to extend Mnangagwa’s unconstitutional reign beyond 2028, when his term ends constitutionally.
The party, in power since independence in 1980, is agitating for the term to be extended to at least 2030.
This has led to tensions in the country and the ruling party itself.
Commentator, Hopewell Chin’ono, said the arson marked a grim turning point, signalling that the next three years could be bloody for Zimbabwe.
“It demonstrates that the regime’s supporters are prepared to use any means necessary to silence dissent against the 2030 agenda,” he said.
The commentator said a path to a term extension, built on violence, fear and destruction would deepen Zimbabwe’s illegitimacy and reverse the slow progress made toward restoring its global standing.
“Whoever is advising the regime and its enablers to resort to such barbarism is clearly devoid of wisdom and foresight,” Chin’ono said.
David Coltart, opposition stalwart and mayor of the second largest city of Bulawayo, believes the arson is intended to send a warning signal to all opposed to the proposed change to the Constitution that extra judicial means will be employed to force the amendment despite overwhelming public opposition to it.
He said it was time the church in Zimbabwe and the international community spoke out against the violence and the proposal to extend Mnangagwa’s term.
Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after a military coup removed Robert Mugabe, now late.
Mnangagwa won subsequent elections in 2018 and 2023.
– CAJ News