Harare – A chilling scene unfolded at Robert Mugabe International Airport on Tuesday, as security forces swooped in to arrest three prominent human rights defenders and opposition figures.
Robson Chere, Secretary General of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (ARTUZ), Namatai Kwekweza, a respected young human rights defender, and Samuel Gwenzi, Harare City Council’s Ward 5 councillor, were abruptly removed from a plane they had already boarded, leaving many to question the motives behind this dramatic intervention, New Zimbabwe has reported.
The arrests, which came just days ahead of the upcoming SADC Summit in Harare, have been widely condemned as a blatant attempt to stifle dissent and silence critical voices. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) expressed grave concern over the incident, stating, “We are greatly concerned about the whereabouts of pro-democracy campaigner Kwekweza and two other people, who reached out to us after they were removed from a plane at Robert Mugabe International Airport. We are trying to ascertain their whereabouts and what is happening to them.”
Chere, a tireless advocate for the improvement of teachers’ working conditions and salaries, has consistently been a thorn in the side of the ruling ZANU-PF party. Kwekweza, a survivor of an alleged state-sponsored abduction, has become a symbol of resilience and resistance against government intimidation. Gwenzi, elected under a Citizens Coalition for Change ticket, represents a growing wave of opposition sentiment within the capital.
The arrests of these individuals, along with the recent crackdown on over 70 other opposition activists, trade unionists, and student leaders, paint a grim picture of a government increasingly desperate to maintain control ahead of the SADC summit. The authorities have justified these actions by claiming that those arrested were involved in “unsanctioned meetings,” a thinly veiled attempt to suppress any form of dissent.
“This comes as the regime attempts to silence voices ahead of the SADC summit,” said former MP Ostallos Siziba, echoing the sentiments of many. “Human rights activists, trade unionists, student leaders, and democratic opposition members are being targeted. The fight is on, it’s homeland or death! #ZanuPFMustGo.”
The arrests have sparked outrage on social media, with some drawing parallels to the dark days of the Robert Mugabe era, when dissent was met with brutal repression. The government’s heavy-handed tactics have only served to further galvanise opposition forces, who are determined to challenge the ruling party’s grip on power.
The incident at the airport has also raised serious questions about the state of democracy in Zimbabwe. The government’s blatant disregard for fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to peaceful assembly and free speech, has raised concerns among international observers and human rights organisations.
