Crispen Makendenge once struck fear into the hearts of many Zimbabweans. As the head of the CID Law and Order Division during the Mugabe era, he was seen as one of the most powerful and feared men in the country. Opposition activists remember him as the man behind brutal torture sessions. Journalists recall being arrested and silenced under his watch. He was not just a cop. He was a symbol of repression. But today that symbol is broken. That power is gone. The man who once ruled with fear now lives with pain.
A recent photo of Makendenge shared by Crime Watch Zim has gone viral. In the image, he appears weak tired and sickly. He no longer looks like the strongman who once barked orders in police cells. Instead he looks like a man haunted by his past. The internet reacted fast. Some called it karma. Others used the Shona word ngozi which speaks of payback for wrongdoing. The reactions were mixed but the message was clear. People have not forgotten.
Among the many voices was Job Sikhala. The opposition leader says Makendenge tortured him with electric shocks. He says he was brutalized simply for standing up to injustice. Yet Sikhala has chosen the path of peace. He said he wants to show Makendenge love and kindness. His words are powerful. He believes that even those who caused great pain deserve forgiveness. It is a bold stance in a country where many are still bleeding from the past.
Makendenge’s list of victims includes journalists. Some of them now work for The NewsHawks. They still remember how he tried to silence the press. He was known to raid newsrooms threaten reporters and destroy the truth before it reached the public. Today those same journalists are thriving. They report freely without fear. And the man who once tried to shut them down is silent.
Reports suggest Makendenge is suffering from mental health issues. His days of command are over. He is no longer feared or respected. Instead he battles with the very demons he once unleashed on others. For many Zimbabweans his suffering is not just personal. It is symbolic. It is a lesson on the dangers of abusing power.
Makendenge’s story has become a warning. Power does not last. No matter how strong a man may seem no matter how protected he may feel the wheel turns. Zimbabweans are taking note. They say you can run from justice but you cannot run from the consequences of your actions. What you do in secret will one day be revealed in public.
The public response has been divided. Some feel satisfaction watching a once feared man fall. Others say mocking his pain lowers us all. But most agree that his current state reveals a deeper truth. That no one is untouchable. That the past always comes back. That silence never lasts forever.
Makendenge was not acting alone. He was part of a system built on fear and control. He was a tool used to crush dissent. But the same system that gave him power has now abandoned him. The people who once backed him are nowhere to be found. Now it is the people he once terrorized who are telling his story.
Zimbabwe still struggles with justice. Many who harmed others during the Mugabe years are still free. They walk the streets without shame. But Makendenge’s fall has opened a door. It has reminded us that while the courts may fail life does not. There is always a day of reckoning.
The photo of Makendenge is more than an image. It is a reminder. A symbol. A warning. It tells those in power today that nothing lasts forever. People remember. People watch. And one day the truth will catch up with them too.
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