The
drive
to
silence
critics
of
extending
Mnangagwa’s
presidency
has
deepened
campus
anxiety
and
triggered
rights
groups’
warnings
of
mounting
repression.
After
long-time
ruler
Robert
Mugabe’s
2017
ouster,
Mnangagwa
inherited
power
and
pledged
to
step
down
at
the
constitutional
limit
–
two
five-year
terms.
That
has
not
stopped
Zanu-PF
from
pressing
a
constitutional
amendment
to
keep
him
in
office.
Mnangagwa’s
cabinet
approved
the
plan,
and
parliament
is
now
weighing
a
bill
to
extend
his
term.
This
plan
has
been
mooted
for
years,
but
the
ruling
party
first
resolved
to
implement
it
in
October
2025.
Authorities
are
tightening
their
grip:
academic
freedom
and
student
activism
are
under
direct
assault,
with
speech
stifled,
gatherings
broken
up
and
dissent
met
with
punishment
–
undermining
basic
student
rights
and
campus
life.
Students
oppose
term
extension
On
20
March,
Midlands
State
University
(MSU)
students
Anenyasha
Moyo
and
Langton
Muhoma
(both
22),
arrested
last
year
for
opposing
Mnangagwa’s
term
extension,
had
charges
withdrawn
before
plea.
A
third
student
charged
alongside
them,
Milton
Muchayana
(21),
disappeared
before
the
court
appearance
and
his
family
now
fears
he
was
murdered.
A statement by
the
Zimbabwe
Lawyers
for
Human
Rights
on
the
case
says
the
three
students
were
initially
arrested
on
8
August
2025
by
Zimbabwe
Republic
Police
officers
at
the
MSU
Gweru
campus
and
charged
with
subverting
constitutional
government.
The
human
rights
lawyers
said
in
court
that
prosecutors
alleged
that
Muchayana,
Moyo
and
Muhoma
connived
to
originate
information
inciting
public
violence
against
government,
which
was
inscribed
on
12
fliers
and
distributed
to
some
MSU
students.
Prosecutors
told
the
Gweru
Magistrate’s
Court
that
two
mobile
phone
handsets
allegedly
used
to
originate
and
print
the
inciting
information
were
seized
from
the
students
and
were
being
held
as
exhibits
for
use
during
the
trial.
The
lawyers
said
the
three
students
spent
14
days
in
detention
before
they
were
granted
bail
by
Masvingo
High
Court
Judge
Justice
Regis
Dembure.
One
student
feared
murdered
In
an
interview
with University
World
News,
Reginald
Chidawanyika
of
Zimbabwe
Lawyers
for
Human
Rights
said
that,
while
Moyo
and
Muhoma
had
charges
withdrawn
on
20
March,
Muchayana
was
not
in
court
on
the
day,
as
he
disappeared
months
ago
and
his
mother
now
suspects
that
he
could
have
been
murdered.
Chidawanyika
said
that,
after
Muchayana
got
bail
at
the
High
Court,
he
resumed
lectures
but
was
later
suspended
by
MSU.
“He
was
served
with
a
suspension
letter
and
escorted
out
of
the
premises
with
his
belongings.
[In]
his
last
call
he
advised
[his]
mum
of
his
predicament.
He
called
using
a
phone
he
had
borrowed
from
a
student.
He
had
no
phone;
his
had
been
seized
by
police
as
an
exhibit,”
said
the
lawyer.
Chidawanyika
said
Muchayana
has
since
been
declared
a
missing
person.
“He
was
last
seen
the
day
MSU
security
served
him
with
a
suspension
letter
and
escorted
him
from
university
premises,”
said
Chidawanyika.
“The
mother
is
convinced
now
the
boy
was
murdered.”
Mounting
risks
Risks
for
opposing
Mnangagwa’s
term
extension
plans
are
mounting
by
the
day.
A
statement
by
Amnesty
International
Zimbabwe noted that,
on
20
March,
Delano
Cole,
a
Zimbabwe
National
Students
Union
leader
at
Chinhoyi
University
of
Technology,
was
abducted
from
a
lecture
debating
the
constitutional
amendment
seeking
to
remove
presidential
term
limits.
The
human
rights
watchdog
said
the
latest
abduction
not
only
threatens
freedom
of
assembly,
association
and
expression,
but
also
academic
freedom
and
participation
in
university
public
life.
It
said
other
students
have
previously
been
kidnapped
at
the
same
institution.
“On
10
November
2025,
two
other
students
from
the
same
institution,
23-year-old
Marlvin
Madanda
and
21-year-old
Lindon
Zanga,
were
allegedly
abducted
and
found
the
next
day
reportedly
dumped,
beaten
and
injured,”
Amnesty
International
Zimbabwe
said
in
a
statement.
“We
urge
the
authorities
to
investigate
the
latest
abduction
and
ensure
that
students
can
exercise
their
freedom
of
expression
and
peaceful
assembly
and
organise
without
fear
of
reprisals,
intimidation
and
torture.”
A
student
leader
who
was
present
when
Cole
was
abducted
at
Chinhoyi
University
of
Technology
told University
World
News that
the
victim
had
since
been
freed
but
gave
no
details,
fearing
for
his
own
life
after
escaping
the
kidnappers.
“Currently
my
security
is
compromised,”
said
the
student,
who
declined
to
be
named
for
fear
of
reprisals.
“About
30
ZINASU
[Zimbabwe
National
Students
Union]
cadres
are
hiding.
This
has
affected
them
both
academically
and
emotionally.
You
cannot
feel
comfortable
reading,
knowing
that
you
can
be
captured
anytime.”
The
campaign
of
intimidation
to
railroad
changes
to
benefit
Mnangagwa
by
silencing
critics
goes
beyond
targeting
students.
Lecturer
attacked
On
1
March,
armed
unidentified
men
forced
their
way
into
a
meeting
chaired
by
University
of
Zimbabwe
law
lecturer
Professor
Lovemore
Madhuku
and
attacked
several
participants.
Madhuku,
who
leads
the
National
Constitutional
Assembly
and
has
filed
an
application
in
court
to
oppose
Mnangagwa’s
term
extension
plans,
suffered
some
injuries.
A
statement
by
Amnesty
International
Zimbabwe
issued
following
the
attack said there
is
an
escalating
crackdown
on
peaceful
dissent,
which
has
seen
public
meetings
banned
and
critics
brutally
attacked,
arbitrarily
detained
and
silenced.
“Political
activist
Godfrey
Karembera
has
been
in
pretrial
detention
since
his
arrest
on
20
October
2025.
He
faces
charges
of
incitement
to
commit
public
violence
for
allegedly
distributing
flyers
ahead
of
a
protest
march
that
was
scheduled
for
17
October
2025.
Over
90
other
activists
opposed
to
the
extension
of
term
limits
were
arrested
on
31
March
2025
for
allegedly
gathering
with
intent
to
promote
public
violence,”
said
the
statement.
On
21
March,
human
rights
lawyer
and
Zimbabwean
opposition
leader
Tendai
Biti,
who
leads
the
Constitution
Defenders
Forum,
was arrested while
campaigning
to
oppose
Mnangagwa’s
term
extension
manoeuvres.
Biti
was
later
granted
bail
under
conditions
that
curtail
his
rights
to
continue
speaking
out
against
efforts
to
remove
the
presidential
term
limit
to
benefit
the
incumbent.
Source:
Fear
grips
students
amid
signs
of
intensifying
repression
Post
published
in:
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