Zanu-PF dissident's mother abducted, dumped near Norton

The 73-year-old mother of suspended Zanu-PF politician Godwin Gomwe was abducted on Friday night and later dumped near a police roadblock in Norton, in what appears to be a targeted act of intimidation by suspected State security operatives.

According to Gomwe, six men believed to be members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) stormed the family home in Budiriro 5 around 8pm, forcibly taking his mother in a Toyota GD6 with no number plates. The alleged operatives were reportedly searching for his younger brother, Gifford Gomwe, also a vocal critic of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's reported ambitions to remain in power beyond the two-term constitutional limit.

During the abduction, the operatives allegedly broke down doors, threatened to burn the house down, and menaced the elderly woman, demanding information about Gifford's whereabouts. Audio recordings shared by Godwin Gomwe suggest the abductors planned to take her to the family's rural home in Zvimba to coerce her into leading them to Gifford.

"She had neither eaten nor taken her medication since she was taken. I pleaded with them in a recorded call to release her," Gomwe said.

The abduction was aborted after the vehicle encountered a police roadblock near Carina on the Harare-Bulawayo highway. Fearing exposure, the alleged agents reportedly dumped the woman a few metres from the checkpoint and fled back towards Harare. She then approached officers manning the roadblock for help.

"These six men were instructing my mother to share information about Gifford's whereabouts but did not tell her why they wanted him," Gomwe said in a public statement. "After she was dumped, she walked about 50 metres to the Carina roadblock where I got a call from the Sergeant heading the block to come pick her up."

A police report has since been filed at Budiriro Police Station under RRB number 6414038, citing abduction and unlawful entry.

Gifford Gomwe, who once contested against Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and MP Mercy Maruva-Dinha in Zanu-PF primaries for Zvimba West, has previously been targeted for his dissent. His vehicle and rural home were recently vandalised, which he attributes to his political stance.

Both Gifford and Godwin Gomwe are outspoken opponents of Zanu-PF's so-called "2030 Agenda," which critics argue is a campaign to extend President Mnangagwa's tenure beyond 2028. Godwin Gomwe, along with nine others, was suspended from the party last year for opposing this agenda and aligning with a rival faction.

The abduction adds to growing concerns over politically motivated violence and State intimidation tactics ahead of Zimbabwe's next electoral cycle. Police are yet to comment publicly on the incident or confirm if any suspects have been identified.