ZANU PF PANICS AS CRACKS WIDEN IN SUCCESSION FIGHTS

Job Sikhala, a well-known activist, was arrested again in Penhalonga, Manicaland. He was with other activists when police stormed their meeting. The police said they broke the law, but it was just an ordinary meeting. Sikhala was later released with 39 others, but their chief national organiser, Engineer Joelson Mugari, remained in custody.

Mugari is now very sick. He was not given his medicine, and his friends had to beg the police to take him to the hospital. This shows how ZANU PF and the police do not care about human life. They fear people who speak the truth, so they use force to silence them.

Sikhala explained what happened. The National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) is not a political party. It is a group that helps people discuss issues affecting the country. They were just having a normal leadership meeting, which happens every three months. This meeting was at Beat of the Forest Resort in Penhalonga.

First, a Toyota Hilux with tinted windows arrived. Inside were five Central Intelligence Officers (CIO) led by a man named Muvhangeri. They talked to Mugari and left. Then, another car without number plates arrived. Inside were Police Intelligence (PI) and CID Law & Order officers, led by a man named Ngweme. They also spoke to Mugari and left.

A few minutes later, everything changed. Three trucks full of riot police arrived. They carried AK47s and batons. A plain-clothed officer called Shonhiwa screamed, “Beat and catch everyone here!” The police started attacking people. They punched, kicked, and pushed people to the ground.

Sikhala remained calm. He sat next to Dr. Wurayayi Zembe. Then, a police officer pointed a gun at Dr. Zembe and shouted, “I will shoot you!” But Dr. Zembe did not move. He stayed calm.

Sikhala was later taken to meet the Officer Commanding. When he tried to greet the officer, the man refused and said, “I don’t greet people. I was bewitched. What if my spirits attack you?” This shows the kind of people who are running the system. They believe in witchcraft more than the law.

The officer then charged Sikhala and the others under Section 7 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA). He said they needed police permission for the meeting. But this is nonsense. The law only applies to public meetings. The NDWG meeting was in a bush, not in a public place. Also, ZANU PF does not ask for police permission when they meet. Why should others?

It was clear that the police had no real case. But they still forced Sikhala and the others into pickup trucks. It was raining heavily. They got soaked as they were driven to Penhalonga Police Station. They were made to sit on a dirty floor for hours.

After waiting for three hours, the police decided to send them to Mutare Central CID Law & Order. When they arrived, no one was charged. The police only took four people for interviews—Mugari, Sikhala, Dr. Zembe, and Nyabeze. This was just harassment.

The truth is simple. ZANU PF is afraid. They see the cracks in their own system. The succession fights are getting worse. The party is divided. Some people want Mnangagwa to stay. Others want a new leader. The CIO, police, and army are being used to crush anyone who challenges them.

But no amount of arrests will stop the people. No amount of fear will save ZANU PF from its own chaos. The party is collapsing. The fights inside are too big. They cannot stop the change that is coming.

Sikhala was in prison for nearly 600 days. He knows their tricks. But they have not broken him. The same way they failed to stop him, they will fail to stop the will of the people.

The people of Zimbabwe are watching. The struggle continues. ZANU PF can try to delay it, but in the end, change is coming.