News / National
Matthew Takaona arrested by Ferret team
03 Jun 2025 at 14:49hrs | Views
Veteran journalist and opposition activist Matthew Takaona has been arrested by members of the Ferret team, a joint police and intelligence unit, while participating in a community road safety initiative at Mushayavanhu Primary School in Gutu.
Takaona, who is now the publisher of the Masvingo Mirror and a known critic of the ruling Zanu-PF party, was apprehended alongside a group of parents who were cutting grass along a hazardous stretch of tarred road near the school. The area has been the scene of several road accidents due to poor visibility and unmaintained roadside vegetation.
Sources say the group was carrying out the voluntary work in an effort to improve road safety for schoolchildren and motorists. Despite the community-driven nature of the activity, Ferret agents moved in and detained Takaona, taking him to Gutu Police Station. The reasons for the arrest remain unclear, though observers have described it as politically motivated.
The arrest has sparked outrage from civil society groups and opposition supporters, who view it as another example of state repression. "Zimbabweans have been living under the jackboot of political repression for 45 years now under failed Zanu-PF rule," said a local activist who witnessed the arrest. "Even a simple act of community service is now criminalised if you are seen as aligned with the opposition."
Takaona's journalism career spans decades, during which he served as president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) before taking the helm at the Masvingo Mirror. His recent activism and media work have focused on local governance, human rights, and accountability.
Efforts to obtain comment from the Zimbabwe Republic Police were unsuccessful at the time of publishing, and it remains to be seen whether formal charges will be laid.
The incident adds to growing concerns over shrinking civic space and increased surveillance of opposition figures and independent journalists in the run-up to future political processes.
Takaona, who is now the publisher of the Masvingo Mirror and a known critic of the ruling Zanu-PF party, was apprehended alongside a group of parents who were cutting grass along a hazardous stretch of tarred road near the school. The area has been the scene of several road accidents due to poor visibility and unmaintained roadside vegetation.
Sources say the group was carrying out the voluntary work in an effort to improve road safety for schoolchildren and motorists. Despite the community-driven nature of the activity, Ferret agents moved in and detained Takaona, taking him to Gutu Police Station. The reasons for the arrest remain unclear, though observers have described it as politically motivated.
The arrest has sparked outrage from civil society groups and opposition supporters, who view it as another example of state repression. "Zimbabweans have been living under the jackboot of political repression for 45 years now under failed Zanu-PF rule," said a local activist who witnessed the arrest. "Even a simple act of community service is now criminalised if you are seen as aligned with the opposition."
Takaona's journalism career spans decades, during which he served as president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) before taking the helm at the Masvingo Mirror. His recent activism and media work have focused on local governance, human rights, and accountability.
Efforts to obtain comment from the Zimbabwe Republic Police were unsuccessful at the time of publishing, and it remains to be seen whether formal charges will be laid.
The incident adds to growing concerns over shrinking civic space and increased surveillance of opposition figures and independent journalists in the run-up to future political processes.
Source - online
