By Wezhira Munya
Women in Masvingo Province who are supporters of opposition leader , President Nelson Chamisa are living in fear after being interrogated by deadly state security agents in recent days.
(See the attached white CID and CIO vehicle at Mrs Vembo (Sekwidzai Shayamano)’s house yesterday)
According to eyewitness accounts, yesterday, a group of five male officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) visited the home of Mrs. Sekwidzai Shayamano, also known as Mrs. Vembo, in Masvingo Urban’s Ward 4. Mrs. Shayamano is one of women’s leaders mobilizing support for President Chamisa in the province.
” Yesterday, 16th July 2024, the CID and CIO officials interrogated me about the recent women’s meeting we held in Gutu, organized by our pro-Chamisa women’s leadership under Monica Mukwada,” Mrs. Shayamano said.
In addition, Mrs Shayamano explained that, “They accused us of planning demonstrations against Zanu PF president Mnangagwa’s upcoming inauguration as SADC chairperson, which I denied.”
Similar incidents have been reported in Chivi district. On 12th July 2024, CIO and CID agents from Chivi Growth Point visited the home of Mrs. Rutendo Kuuya, the newly appointed Mwenezi-Chivi women’s coordinator for the opposition.
“They asked me to accompany them to their offices, where they questioned me about the Gutu meeting and the number of buses the party had secured to transport people to demonstrate in Harare during the SADC summit,” Mrs. Kuuya said.
Pro-Chamisa 2023 harmonized elections Chivi Parliamentary candidate, Hon. Emmanuel Chidaushe, also stated that the security agents discussed his upcoming birthday party, claiming it was not a personal celebration but a “strategic political gathering to organize more demonstrations in Chivi.”
“Due to this intimidation on Chivi and Mwenezi women coordinator, I have decided to postpone the birthday party celebrations to protect our women,” Hon. Chidaushe said.
Previously, pro-Chamisa activists in Chivi have been beaten, arrested, and had their property destroyed by police and Zanu-PF members.
Contacted for comment, pro-Chamisa Women’s Assembly leader Mrs. Mukwada urged the CIO and CID not to harass Masvingo women based on inaccurate information.
“There was no meeting to organize demonstrations in Gutu,” she said.
Furthermore, Mrs Mukwada commented that, “We met as pro-Chamisa women in Gutu to delegate our members to mobilize support for President Chamisa, organize income-generating projects, and motivate each other on various issues.”
The targeting of pro-Chamisa women in Masvingo is the latest in a series of efforts by the government to clamp down on opposition activities. Analysts have warned that such intimidation tactics could undermine the integrity of democracy in Zimbabwe.
Mr Mnangagwa, in a recent address to his ruling Zanu-PF party, expressed concerns about “certain rogue elements within the nation who are bent on peddling falsehoods and instigating acts of civil disorder, especially before, during and after regional and world stage events.”
He warned that the security forces would crush any protests against his government. This outburst was followed by a government statement alleging that “criminal and opportunistic elements within the opposition and some civil society groups” were “attempting to incite disorder.”
As a result, about 78 opposition activists including honourable Jameson Timba have been detained in less than a month. They have been charged with participating in gatherings with the intent to promote violence, breaches of peace or bigotry, as well as disorderly conduct.
