Sikhala allies recount hell in police hands, back Geza

By Caleb Chikwawawa

Combative opposition politician Job Sikhala and his National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) allies were battered by heavy rainfall as police ferried them over 10km from Manicaland’s Penhalonga area to Mutare following their arrest some two weeks ago.

Addressing a press conference in Harare on Tuesday, NDWG Northern region facilitator, Wurayayi Zembe recounted the rough experience but vowed the pro-democracy group will stop at nothing in pursuit of its objectives.

Anti-riot police on 8 February stormed a meeting of NDWG members and arrested Sikhala together with 21 associates for allegedly convening an unsanctioned gathering, according to police. The group said 41 of its members were arrested instead.

Recounting the experience, Zembe also said current manoeuvres by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his allies to extend his time beyond the Zimbabwean leader’s two-term limit prescribed by the national constitution shall be resisted.

The veteran politician also said NDWG shall persist with its activities in the face of state repression.

“As now you all know, the legitimate activities of the National Democratic Working Group were banned by Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s dictatorial and illegitimate regime on 8 February 2025 in Mutare; that activity was banned,” he said.

“The illegitimate Zanu PF regime’s ZRP riot police invaded and disrupted our peaceful leadership private meeting in Penhalonga, Mutare and arrested 41 executive members of our organisation who were attending the NDWG meeting at Bits of the Forest Resorts.

“We were exposed to torture, inhumane and degrading treatment before we were thrown into holding cells at Penhalonga police station and later transferred to Mutare General police station. What one could describe as inhumane torture, inhumane ill-treatment.

“We were exposed to torrential rains on the back of an illegitimate regime’s police open truck. This was my first experience really to see human beings being ferried in open trucks in heavy rainfall loaded worse than any commodity because commodities are cared for, we were not cared for by those who had captured us.

“Let us warn Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s illegitimate Zanu PF regime that we will not succumb to its arm-twisting dictatorial tactics to silence us. This has actually strengthened our inclusive movement to make a bold declaration that we are going to pronounce today here.

“After the vicious military attack on our meeting in Mutare on Saturday 8 February 2025, the National Democratic Working Group reconvened on the disrupted meeting on Sunday 16 February 2025 through the cyber space.”

Zembe said NDWG’s activities coincided with the current stance by a section of war veterans to block Mnangagwa’s bid for a third term.

“We welcome the support of our position, which has been endorsed by the progressive war veterans led by comrades Blessed Bombshell Geza and Nox Chivero.

“The messages that are being spread by both Geza and Chivero resonate with the National Democratic Working Group’s position from the onset. We stand firm in mutual solidarity with each other and we reassure them that we stand together high and low in this people’s democratic struggle.

“The position as amplified by comrade Geza and Chivero is the position of the masses of our people who are eager to see the completion of the mass democratic revolution in Zimbabwe. The revolution is upon us fellow compatriots.

“We urge all churches, students, civil society organisations , workers of our nation and the down-trodden masses of our people to stand firm in support of our position and that of the progressive war veterans of the armed liberation struggle.

“The time is now or never. Freedom of our people is at the core of our struggle. This is a non-negotiable position that we cannot trade with anything. We deserve better than the 2030 nonsense as a nation.

“Let us come together and complete the mass democratic revolution in Zimbabwe for the permanent good of our nation,” Zembe said.