HARARE – A bomb ripped through the Southern Africa Political Economy Series (SAPES) Trust building in Harare early Tuesday, just hours before pro-democracy activists were due to announce a campaign to resist moves to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond constitutional limits.
The explosion destroyed the research institute’s seminar room — the usual venue for public debates — in what SAPES founder Ibbo Mandaza described as a “targeted arson attack.”
He said a group of men arrived around 12.40AM, overpowered the security guard and threw what is believed to be petrol bombs at the building.
“The guard was abducted and dumped for dead on the outskirts of the city at 1AM. He managed to find his way back 10 hours later, roughed up but alive,” Mandaza said.
When activists including former MPs Tendai Biti, Munyaradzi Gwisai and Job Sikhala insisted on proceeding with their scheduled news conference inside the charred building, police sealed off the premises, saying it was a crime scene.
Elsewhere in Harare, a fire gutted the home of Gilbert Mbwende, a member of the Constitutional Defence Forum, in Highfield at around 1.30AM. The house was completely destroyed.
Biti said the planned news conference would have unveiled a broad coalition of pro-democracy activists determined to “defend the constitution from mutilation.”
“This is a non-partisan, non-political effort to defend the constitution — the values of the liberation struggle and our democratic struggle,” Biti said. “We’re uniting citizens to stop the vandalisation of our constitution.”
Zanu PF, in power for 45 years, resolved at its annual conference on October 18 to pursue constitutional amendments that would allow Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030. The president, whose second and final term ends in August 2028, has not disowned the proposal.
Mnangagwa opened the third session of the 10th parliament on Tuesday but made no mention of planned legislative changes to term limits in his address.
With Zanu PF’s commanding two-thirds majority in parliament, analysts say the party could easily pass the enabling amendments, although a referendum would still be required. This is what the party fears most, and its lawyers are reportedly making arguments that the changes can be effected without a public vote.
“If the term extension agenda was put to a referendum, it would be defeated,” said Stephen Chan, professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
Attempts over the past months to stage public protests against the plan were met with a harsh police crackdown that put scores of people in jail.
“Only mass popular expression of dissent may change course,” added Musa Kika, director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa. “But prospects are low at the moment, given weak grassroots organising and mobilisation.”
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