President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime has done it again. This time they have arrested veteran journalist Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent. Her so-called crime is nothing but journalism. She dared to tell the truth in a land where truth is feared. Now they are charging her with “undermining the authority of the President” but everyone knows this is not about the law. This is about fear. It is about a paranoid government that cannot stand anyone speaking up. It is about silencing voices and crushing courage. But they picked the wrong woman and the wrong time.
Civil society leader Obert Masaraure is one of the few who still speaks with clarity in these dark days. He knows the cost of truth. He has been arrested many times. He has seen the inside of police cells for refusing to kneel. And now he speaks up again for Zaba and for all of us. His words are sharp and true. He said no Mnangagwa stop it Zimbabwe is not your tuckshop. And he is right. This country is not a personal business. It is not a private fiefdom. It belongs to the people. It belongs to all of us.
Mnangagwa wants a media that kneels before him. He wants journalists who clap for him while the nation burns. He wants silence while looters feast. He wants blind loyalty while hospitals collapse and young people flee the country. But Zimbabwe is not a kingdom. It is a republic. It is a land born out of struggle. And we must remember what we are and what we fought for.
Masaraure spoke of the danger of doing nothing. Every day we remain silent is a day we lose more of our freedom. Every hour we say nothing is an hour they tighten their grip. Mnangagwa has made state institutions worse than those of Rhodesia. That is not an exaggeration. It is the hard truth. Our courts are no longer fair. Our police are no longer protectors. Our leaders no longer serve us. They serve themselves.
This is a call to action. We must not wait. Civil society must rise. Trade unions must rise. Students must rise. Churches must rise. Women’s groups, vendors, opposition parties — we must all come together. This is not just about Faith Zaba. This is about everyone. Today it is her. Tomorrow it could be you. It could be your sister. Your child. Your neighbour. No one is safe in a country where truth is a crime.
And to those working inside government and state institutions, we say this. You do not have to obey illegal orders. You do not have to destroy your own people. Today they may use you. Tomorrow they will dump you. When this system turns on you, no one will come to save you. The same courts you corrupted will jail you. The same police you used to arrest the innocent will come for you too. Choose wisely while you still can.
Let us be honest. We were all part of the mess of 2017. We danced for the coup. We believed in the lies. We thought the nightmare was over. But we were fooled. Mnangagwa promised a new Zimbabwe. Instead he gave us a deeper hell. He has failed the people. He has betrayed the revolution. He has betrayed Zimbabwe.
Now we must rise again. Just like in 2017. But this time not for false promises. This time to fix the mistake. This time to reclaim our country. Let the people rise. Let truth rise. Let justice rise. The time is now. Enough is enough. Mnangagwa must go.
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