Even though newly reelected President Emmerson Mnangagwa publicly speaks of “peace, love, harmony, and tolerance,” there are indications that Zimbabwe has slid back into a period of violent dictatorship.
Behind those remarks, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) claims that more than a dozen opposition individuals, including elected officials, officials, and activists, have been detained by the police in the three weeks following the election.
Violent kidnappings have been targeted towards others.
Maureen Kademaunga, a councillor and opposition CCC MP who was recently detained, appeared in court this week on counts of attempted murder and intentional property damage.
Her lawyer said the court decided there was no evidence against her.
“There’s a broad crackdown against the opposition, which includes the use of law enforcement and the judiciary,” human rights lawyer, Douglas Coltart, told The Associated Press.
In another incident, Womberaiishe Nhende and a family member were taken out of their car by unidentified individuals, shot with a stun gun, and handcuffed just a week after she had been elected as a local councillor for Zimbabwe’s main opposition party.
Then, according to their attorneys, they were put into a pickup vehicle and transported around 70 kilometres (more than 40 miles) outside of Harare, the country’s capital, where they were assaulted with truncheons, interrogated, and given an unknown injection.
In a video published by the CCC, ZANU-PF’s main rival in the election, Nhende described his ordeal and displayed his injuries.
The drama ended when the two CCC party members were asked what their party is planning following August’s contentious and problematic national election.
In the country of southern Africa, where the ZANU-PF party ruled for 43 years, there was a lengthy history of violence and intimidation against opposition groups.
More than 15 years ago, when Robert Mugabe was still the known dictatorial leader of Zimbabwe, then-opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was pictured by the world’s media with a swollen, severely damaged face and one eye closed.
Mnangagwa, a former guerrilla fighter known as “the crocodile,” was elected to a second term as president last month. The CCC condemned the election as invalid and international and regional observers questioned its validity, citing a number of issues, including an environment of intimidation and fear.
That appears to still be a mainstay in Zimbabwe six years after Mugabe was ousted in a coup and replaced by Mnangagwa in 2017.
Mnangagwa and his party have repeatedly denied allegations of using repression to crush dissent.
Yet the president, who turned 81 on Friday, described the opposition’s allegations as “noises from some little boys” and threatened to imprison “anybody who wants to be nonsensical and bring chaos.”
Many people, including well-known international rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, view Mnangagwa’s assertion that Zimbabwe is a mature democracy under him as a sham.
Given its abundant agricultural land, natural resources, which include the largest lithium deposits on the continent, and possible oil and gas discoveries, it appears that little has changed in a country that offers untapped promise for Africa.
Last Monday, the police reported a fresh round of opposition figure arrests.
Nelson Chamisa, the head of the CCC and Mnangagwa’s opponent in the presidential race, claimed that his party was under attack and coming under fire.
According to the CCC, two of its legislators have lately been detained. While they were incarcerated, other representatives were re-elected last month.
Promise Mkwananzi, the party’s spokesperson, departed the country after police stated they were looking to arrest him for missing a court appearance in 2019 and accused him of assault and property damage.
Gift Siziba, a CCC deputy spokesperson, was detained on suspicion of instigating violence at a soccer match.
Another CCC activist’s case has been brought up by Amnesty, who claims the person was kidnapped and tortured in the days following the election.
The CCC and analysts claim that now that the foreign observers have left, there is an obvious post-election clampdown.
