Harare bombing victim gives up

Zanu-PF activist and government critic Sybeth Musengezi says he has given up hope of ever getting justice after police failed to make progress in investigating the petrol bombing of his house in October 2022.

Musengezi's Harare home was attacked by unknown assailants two years ago, resulting in the destruction of property worth several thousand dollars. The incident occurred at the height of his legal battle challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa's legitimacy as Zanu-PF leader and his subsequent attempt to block the party's elective congress through the courts.

Speaking to The Standard, Musengezi said he has received no meaningful response from the police despite providing names of suspects believed to be involved in the attack.

"I didn't get any help or justice from the police," he said. "They refused to investigate the list of suspects that I gave them after receiving reliable information on who was responsible. The investigating officers told me they needed clearance from Zanu-PF headquarters to proceed since the suspects held respectable offices in the party and government."

Musengezi said he was repeatedly referred to different police departments without any progress being made.
"I tried to follow up for almost a year with the anti-terrorism unit at Harare Central Police Station, who were handling the case," he said. "I was always passed from one officer to another until I got tired and left it hanging."

The activist's ordeal mirrors a string of similar attacks targeting government critics in recent years. In a separate incident last month, the Sapes Trust conference room in Harare was petrol-bombed just hours before opposition politicians were scheduled to hold a press conference there. The event was meant to address allegations that Zanu-PF was plotting to extend Mnangagwa's presidential term from 2029 to 2030.

On the same night, the home of another activist, Gilbert Mbwende, was also bombed.

Sapes Trust director Dr Ibbo Mandaza confirmed that police have yet to provide any updates regarding the attack on his institution.
"There has been no communication or progress from the police since the bombing," Mandaza said.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesperson Obert Masaraure expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability from law enforcement authorities.

"It is widely known that a basic forensic expert could quickly determine the origin and type of explosive used," Masaraure said. "Armed with that information, the state could easily trace who imported or authorised the use of such materials. The continued silence completely erodes public confidence in the state's role as protector of its citizens."

Police officials did not respond to requests for comment on the status of the investigations.

For Musengezi, the silence has become an answer of its own. "I have stopped expecting anything," he said quietly. "If the police wanted justice, they would have acted long ago."