White City grenade attack on Mnangagwa still under investigation

The investigation into the June 23, 2018, grenade attack that targeted President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other high-ranking officials during a Zanu PF rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo has taken a dramatic turn with the involvement of Chinese investigators, ZimLive reported.

On November 27, a team of detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) revisited the crime scene with four Chinese investigators. However, their arrival did not go smoothly. Security guards from the City of Bulawayo initially blocked their entry to the stadium, citing a lack of prior clearance from City Hall. Despite the standoff, the police team allegedly forced their way into the stadium, with sources confirming that the Chinese team spent about two hours conducting interviews and gathering evidence from witnesses who had been present at the scene during the explosion.

“The four Chinese investigators spent time interviewing people who were present on the day of the explosion. They also made detailed drawings and took notes. They were there for about two hours,” a council official briefed on the matter revealed.

The involvement of the Chinese investigators has raised questions, particularly since National police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi stated he had no knowledge of any Chinese involvement in the investigation.

The grenade explosion, which occurred just meters from President Mnangagwa and several Zanu PF officials, resulted in the deaths of two aides of Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, while Mohadi and other officials, including Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri, sustained injuries. The attack occurred amid a turbulent political climate, just six months into Mnangagwa’s presidency following the military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe.

Initial investigations into the attack appeared to stall, despite President Mnangagwa ordering police to finalize the case. However, reports indicate that the police have since formed a working theory suggesting the grenade may have originated from the military. Evidence gathered from the scene identified the explosive device as an offensive fragmentation grenade, a type that is still in use by the Zimbabwean military, which raised suspicions among some investigators.

Earlier, reports indicated that military investigators suspected the grenade might have come from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)’s armoury. However, it was quickly established that the police had disposed of their grenade stocks in the late 1980s, ruling out the police as the source.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, President Mnangagwa speculated that loyalists of former President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, might have been behind the bombing. Speaking to the BBC on June 27, 2018, Mnangagwa stated that it was his “hunch without evidence” that the Mugabes’ supporters were responsible for the attack and assured the public that arrests would be imminent.

Later, in August 2018, while addressing newly elected Zanu PF parliamentary candidates, Mnangagwa hinted that investigators had gathered crucial information on the perpetrators. He remarked, "We now have the knowledge on who did it. We want the current electoral processes to pass, then we will deal with that matter."

As of now, the investigation remains inconclusive, and it is unclear why Chinese investigators were brought in or whether their involvement signals a significant shift in the investigation's direction. The mysterious arrival of the four foreign detectives, along with the absence of clear communication from the Zimbabwean authorities regarding their role, has added a layer of complexity to an already enigmatic case.

The grenade attack remains one of the most high-profile incidents in Zimbabwe’s recent history, and its unresolved status continues to fuel speculation and public interest. The investigation is expected to continue, with both local and international scrutiny on the authorities' efforts to bring those responsible to justice.