Harare, Zimbabwe – As Zimbabwe prepares to host the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit on August 17, the government has accused an unnamed foreign diplomat, religious leaders, civil society, and opposition activists of attempting to destabilize the country.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere warned that the government would respond forcefully. “The full might of the law will be deployed,” Muswere stated.
Former Citizens Coalition legislator Prince Dubeko Sibanda has openly called for Zimbabweans to rise up during the SADC summit. Sibanda is lobbying for the regional bloc to address the disputed August 2023 elections, which SADC has labeled as flawed.
“We are fully aware of futile machinations by failed opposition elements and archbishops of anarchy and despondency, who are disguising themselves as members of the clergy and working together with some rogue student activists,” Muswere declared, asserting that the government knew the identities of those behind the alleged plots.
In a stark example of the government’s crackdown, four civil society activists were forcibly removed from a domestic flight at Robert Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday and held incommunicado for eight hours by state security agents. Among the detained were Namatai Kwekweza, recipient of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize; Robson Chere of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe; opposition councillor Samuel Gwenzi; and activist Vusumuzi Moyo. They are accused of participating in a demonstration earlier.
Opposition politician Ostallos Siziba reported that the four activists were “dumped” at Harare central police station after being “brutally tortured and having their phones seized by regime agents at the airport.” The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights confirmed that Gwenzi was tortured and visibly in pain. The activists face charges of “disorderly conduct.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the accused had picketed outside the Rotten Row Magistrate’s Court in Harare, where 78 opposition activists in detention were set to appear. These 78 activists were arrested on July 16 for allegedly participating in an illegal gathering, which police claim was part of a broader opposition scheme to incite riots during the SADC summit.
Among those detained is Maureen Danha, who was arrested with her baby. Images of Danha carrying her baby on her back while wearing prison garb have gone viral, sparking public outrage. Attorney-General Virginia Mabiza responded by explaining that the law provides three options for jailed mothers with infants: keeping the child with the mother in jail, transferring the child to a relative, or placing the child in state care.
As Zimbabwe braces for the SADC summit, these accusations and actions underscore the heightened tensions and the government’s determination to maintain control. The international community continues to watch closely, concerned about the implications for Zimbabwe’s stability and democratic processes.