SAPES
Trust
Director,
Ibbo
Mandaza,
said
the
attack
targeted
the
seminar
room,
which
is
regularly
used
as
a
venue
for
meetings
and
press
conferences.
SAPES
Trust
is
scheduled
to
host
a
National
Press
Conference
this
morning
against
ZANU
PF’s
Agenda
2030,
which
Mandaza
says
will
go
ahead
despite
the
setback.
SAPES
Trust
Director
Ibbo
Mandaza
“This
is
to
announce
that
there’s
been
another
arson
attack
(the
first
was
in
August
2023
ahead
of
the
elections)
at
SAPES
Trust
at
midnight,
with
the
PanAfrika
Restaurant
on
fire
and
the
security
staff
overtaken
by
a
group
of
armed
attackers.
“This
is
hardly
a
coincidence:
there is
the
National
Press
Conference
against
the
2030
Agenda
scheduled
for
11
am
at
SAPES
Trust
today
28
October.
“It
was
an
organised
attack
at
12:40
am
today:
the
main
target
was
the
SAPES
Trust
Seminar
Room,
the
usual
venue
for
meetings,
which
has
been
left
gutted
to
the
ground
by
fire;
and
then
they
abducted
the
guard
on
duty
after
locking
up
the
gate
with
two
padlocks,”
Mandaza
said
on
his
X
account
on
Tuesday.
The
attack
follows
a
fierce
debate
on
X
and
public
forums
regarding
the
constitutional
procedures
that
must
be
followed
to
amend
the
Constitution
to
allow
Mnangagwa
to
rule
until
2030,
beyond
his
term
limit
ending
in
2028.
Top
Harare
lawyer,
Thabani
Mpofu,
condemned
the
attack,
describing
it as
an
act
of
cowardice.
“This
is
just
not
right.
This
cowardly
act
must
be
condemned
in
the
strongest
terms
possible.
How
can
we
live
in
a
country
that
fears
words?”
Mpofu
wrote
on
his
X
account
on
Tuesday
morning.
Writing
on
his
X
account
on
Tuesday
morning,
self-exiled
former
Cabinet
Minister,
Saviour
Kasukuwere,
said
the
bombing
of
SAPES
Trust
is
a
shameful
act.
“This
is
shameful.
A
leopard
cannot
change
its
spots!
We
have
to
choose
hope
over
fear.”
Although
Mnangagwa
styles
himself
as
a
constitutionalist
and
has
declined
to
plan
for
running
beyond
2028,
he
has
done
little
to
stop
those
who
are
canvassing
support
for
him
to
continue
in
power
until
2030.
The
calls
for
Mnangagwa
to
continue
beyond
2028
have
caused
fissures
within
his
ruling
party,
Zanu
PF.
Analysts
have
warned
that
the
succession
battle
in
Zanu
PF
could
cause
chaos
and
violence
in
the
country,
as
they
believe
that
the
calls
for
Mnangagwa
to
go
beyond
2028
are
purely
a
strategy
to
frustrate
his
deputy,
Rtd
Constantino
Chiwenga,
who
is
widely
expected
to
take
over.