War veterans’ leader Andreas Ethan Mathibela has been placed under surveillance by the President’s Department (CIO), with immigration officials at Plumtree, Maitengwe, and Mphoengs border posts instructed to prevent him from leaving the country.
Mathibela, who chairs the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, is among the organizers of mass protests set for Thursday to express public discontent over alleged corruption within President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Despite these plans, police have refused to approve the demonstrations.
In a letter dated March 19, 2023, addressed to the regional immigration officer, the officer-in-charge of the President’s Department in Plumtree identified Mathibela as a “person of security interest,” indicating that he is viewed as a potential threat.
“If he attempts to exit through Plumtree, Maitengwe, or Mphoengs Border Posts, your office is instructed to deny him passage and notify the President’s Department,” the letter stated.
Mathibela is among a handful of war veterans openly challenging Mnangagwa’s leadership and has pledged to resist efforts to extend the Zanu PF leader’s rule beyond 2028.
Meanwhile, another outspoken critic, Blessed Runesu Geza, popularly known as Bombshell, has gone into hiding after holding a series of press conferences urging Mnangagwa to step down.
ALSO READ : Scottland FC Partners with Discovery Ambulance Services to Enhance Membership Benefits
