ZANU PF’S FEAR WILL NOT STOP ZIMBABWE’S RISE

I write as an activist and a citizen who loves this country. The struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe is not over, and the latest events prove that ZANU PF is not ready to let go of power. The arrest of Job Sikhala and 39 others in Penhalonga shows that the ruling party is afraid of anyone who dares to organize and speak out. The government knows that change is coming, but instead of listening to the people, it chooses to silence them.

Job Sikhala, a well-known activist, was arrested with his colleagues during a National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) meeting. NDWG is not a political party. It is a movement that brings citizens together to talk about our future. The government saw this as a threat. This arrest was not just about stopping one meeting. It was a message to every Zimbabwean who wants change: be quiet, or face the same treatment.

Sikhala was later released with 39 others, but their chief national organiser, Engineer Joelson Mugari, remained in detention. He was denied his life-saving medication and his health became critical. Activists had to pressure the police to rush him to Mutare General Hospital. This is the cruelty we live under. The regime does not care about lives. It cares about power and fear.

The arrest itself was brutal. First, CIO officers arrived in a Toyota Hilux. They observed the meeting and left. Soon after, another vehicle without number plates came, carrying members of Police Intelligence and CID Law and Order. A few minutes later, truckloads of riot police armed with AK-47s stormed the venue. They beat and kicked people without reason. This is how the state treats people who want a better Zimbabwe.

One police officer even pointed a gun at Dr. Wurayayi Zembe and threatened to shoot him. Dr. Zembe stayed calm. Imagine a country where police can threaten to kill citizens for simply gathering. Sikhala was confronted by the Officer Commanding, who refused to shake his hand and mocked him, saying, “Ndakarombaka ini. Ko mhepo dzangu dzikazokubata?” It was meant to scare him. He stood his ground.

The activists were accused of breaking the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA), even though the meeting was private. The law does not require police clearance for executive meetings. ZANU PF holds politburo meetings without police approval. Why should citizens be treated differently? The ruling party twists the law to crush its opponents.

Under heavy rain, the arrested were forced into pickup trucks. At Penhalonga Police Station, they sat on a dirty floor for hours. Later they were moved to Mutare Central CID Law and Order. No proper charges came. Instead, four people, including Sikhala, Mugari, and Dr. Zembe, were taken for questioning. This is the tactic: delay, threaten, confuse, and exhaust. It is meant to break the spirit. But our spirit is stronger.

ZANU PF is desperate. It sees cracks inside its own house. Fights over succession grow louder. They know people are waking up. Instead of fixing the economy, they send riot police. Instead of stopping corruption, they arrest activists. But this will not stop the people. We are tired of corruption. We are tired of lies.

The truth is simple: change is near. No amount of arrests, beatings, or intimidation will stop a people who have decided to be free. The world is watching. And history is clear: no dictatorship lives forever.

So we ask: how long will ZANU PF rule through fear? How long will they use violence instead of leadership? We will not be silent. We will organize, we will speak, and we will stand together. Zimbabwe will rise, not because the regime allows it, but because the people demand it—and we will not give up.