New twist to Sapes Trust bomb saga

The Southern African Political Economy Series (SAPES) Trust says it is considering legal action against the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) over what it describes as the slow and suspicious handling of investigations into the bombing of its premises in October last year.

The SAPES Trust seminar room in Belgravia was attacked on the night of October 27, 2025, after unknown assailants allegedly used an accelerant to start an incendiary fire. The venue was due to host a press conference the following morning by activists opposed to Zanu-PF's push to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term of office by two years.

In a letter dated December 15, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief director Patrick Majuta confirmed that police were investigating the incident and that petrol had been identified as the accelerant used in the attack.

However, more than two months later, SAPES Trust says there has been no breakthrough in the case, raising concerns about the seriousness of the investigations.

"The time it has taken so far to bring the culprits to book is more than sufficient proof that this is a case of state collusion," SAPES Trust said in a statement issued yesterday.

The organisation alleged that the attack could only have been carried out by a state-linked entity, citing the reported use of Ford Ranger vehicles without number plates and what it described as military-grade equipment.

SAPES Trust also pointed to the heavy presence of riot police at its premises on the morning following the bombing, which it says ensured that the planned press conference did not go ahead.

"The presence, that same morning, of dozens of ZRP riot squad officers ensured that there would be no press conference," the organisation said.

Opposition leaders were scheduled to address the media at SAPES Trust offices in Harare as part of efforts to mobilise Zimbabweans against attempts to extend Mnangagwa's rule beyond the constitutionally mandated two five-year terms. A similar press conference planned for Bulawayo on the same day was also blocked by police.

Mnangagwa is currently serving his second and final term under the Constitution, having come to power in 2017 following the military-assisted removal of former president Robert Mugabe.

SAPES Trust further claimed that the pace of investigations suggests a possible cover-up. The organisation said typed witness statements recorded in early December, including one from a security guard who was allegedly abducted during the attack, have not been furnished by investigating officers, a development it says has hampered progress in the case.

The police have not yet responded to the latest allegations.