HARARE – Two suspected arson attacks in the early hours of Tuesday have intensified fears of a coordinated effort to intimidate pro-democracy campaigners opposing the ruling party’s controversial Agenda 2030 initiative.
The plan, denounced by critics as an unconstitutional ploy to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond 2028, has sparked mounting political tension across the country.
One of the suspected attacks targeted the home of civic activist Gilbert Bgwende, while the other hit Sapes Trust in Belgravia—where a press conference challenging Agenda 2030 had been scheduled for later that morning.
Security personnel stationed at Sapes Trust were reportedly abducted by a group of about ten unidentified men who stormed the property shortly after midnight. The assailants allegedly locked the gates, threw petrol bombs into the seminar hall, and fled the scene, leaving the building engulfed in flames.
The blaze destroyed most of the venue, reducing it to charred remains. Dr. Ibbo Mandaza, executive chairperson of Sapes Trust, confirmed the incident, describing the attack as deliberate and destructive.
“The hall was completely gutted, but our press conference will still proceed as planned, even amidst the ashes and under the gaze of the world,” Mandaza said defiantly.
By morning, police and forensic teams were sifting through the wreckage as prominent opposition figures Tendai Biti, Job Sikhala, Jacob Ngarivhume, and constitutional scholar Munyaradzi Gwisai arrived to show solidarity.
Addressing reporters outside the cordoned premises, the group condemned the attack, calling it an act of terror meant to silence dissenting voices.
Gwisai urged supporters to remain calm, vowing that citizens would “defend democracy and the constitution.”
Sikhala said the attack reflected a “state of panic” within the government.
Biti described it as part of a broader campaign against Zimbabweans resisting constitutional manipulation.
Ngarivhume added, “We are united against this 2030 madness—it will not break our resolve.”
Agenda 2030 was first adopted as Resolution Number One during the ZANU PF National People’s Conference in Bulawayo on October 26, 2024, before being reaffirmed at this year’s party conference. Proponents claim it aligns with the government’s Vision 2030 economic goals, but legal experts argue it is a direct attempt to circumvent constitutional term limits.
According to Sections 91(2) and 95(2)(b) of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, a president may only serve two five-year terms, while Section 328(7) forbids amendments that benefit the sitting president. Any attempt to alter these provisions requires both a two-thirds parliamentary majority and a public referendum.
Legal scholars and civic leaders have warned that any deviation from these constitutional safeguards would undermine democratic rule and the separation of powers.
Mandaza linked the firebombing to a broader campaign of repression targeting independent civic spaces and activists.
“This was clearly a petrol bomb attack by people familiar with the premises. They wanted to stop the press conference—just as our restaurant was burned before the 2023 elections,” he said.
The press event was later disrupted by the sudden arrival of heavily armed police, who ordered journalists and activists to disperse.
The suspected arson comes amid escalating government crackdowns, surveillance of opposition members, and increased restrictions on gatherings critical of Agenda 2030, signaling growing political tension in Zimbabwe ahead of the 2028 election cycle.
