By Staff Reporter
Opposition People’s Unity Party (PUP) leader Herbert Chamuka has threatened to mobilise protests if police continue to block his party’s meetings, accusing authorities of stifling political freedoms.
Chamuka condemned the repeated bans on PUP gatherings, labelling them “a serious attack on democracy.”
According to the opposition leader, police recently barred two PUP meetings, a public event scheduled for Magunje on October 19 and a separate in-house meeting in Rusape.
He said both gatherings were meant to discuss the party’s campaign for an inclusive government, which he believes is key to solving Zimbabwe’s political and economic challenges.
“Our people are suffering while those in power enjoy the benefits of leadership alone. We want to unite the country, but ZANU-PF is using the police to silence us,” he said.
Chamuka accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of allowing the ZANU PF ruling party to use state institutions against the opposition, saying the continued suppression of meetings violated constitutional rights.
“We will not be silenced. The Constitution gives us the right to gather and speak. If they continue stopping us, we will mobilise people across the country to demand their rights,” added Chamuka.
Human rights defenders have long criticised Zimbabwean authorities for using police and security forces to curtail freedoms of speech and assembly.
According to Amnesty International, more than 160 opposition supporters and civil society activists were arrested in 2024, many charged with “inciting public violence.”
Police have also been accused of using tear gas, water cannons, and arbitrary arrests to disperse gatherings, even when organisers complied with legal procedures.
Chamuka, who is advocating for political unity and a government of national unity involving both ZANU PF and opposition parties, said his movement would continue pushing for dialogue and democratic reforms.