Zanu‑PF deploys youths to 'spy' on protest plotters, as Harare audit begins

HARARE - Zanu‑PF has launched a province‑wide verification of its district structures in Harare, with senior officials in Kuwadzana yesterday saying youths have been tasked to monitor and report individuals allegedly planning demonstrations set for 31 July.

The directive was issued during the Zone 3 districts audit and verification exercise, which brought together district officials to review membership rolls, finances and party programmes ahead of the 2030 elections.

Harare provincial youth chairman Emmanuel Mahachi told the gathering that the youth league had been assigned to track both internal and external actors believed to be mobilising for unrest. "It's our duty as youths to maintain peace and spy on those who are plotting demonstrations on 31 July," Mahachi said.

He added that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had provided funds for youth projects, warning that some politicians were "bent on destabilising peace" for personal gain. Mahachi claimed several youths had already been "secretly assigned" to gather information on those organising the planned protests.

Addressing the same meeting, Harare provincial chairman Godwills Masimirembwa condemned those behind the demonstrations, urging them to desist from orchestrating "anti‑developmental events" that he said cripple progress. "Protests bring nothing positive, especially considering the surge in developmental projects that the President has initiated for the people countrywide," he said.

Masimirembwa urged residents to go to work on 31 July, saying law‑and‑order institutions were on high alert. "It will be business as usual. Everyone should focus on routine participation towards complementing economic progress of our respective communities and the country at large," he added.

Zanu‑PF Central Committee member Betty Nhambu Kaseke also condemned what she described as attempts to disrupt public order. "We condemn those planning to cause anarchy and disturb the peace of peace‑loving Zimbabweans," she said.

The announcement comes amid renewed scrutiny of Zimbabwe's record on civil and political rights. Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right of peaceful assembly, and the UN Human Rights Committee has stated that states must not use surveillance or intimidation to deter lawful protest. Article 19 protects freedom of expression, while the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights obliges states to ensure citizens can "assemble freely with others" and "freely take part in the government of his country".

Legal experts note that deploying party structures to monitor citizens planning demonstrations risks blurring the line between state security functions and partisan political activity - a practice international observers have previously flagged during election periods.

Government has consistently maintained that it supports orderly demonstrations but will not tolerate violence or disruption to business.

The membership audit and verification exercise is expected to roll out to other districts in Harare in the coming weeks as the ruling party intensifies mobilisation ahead of 2030, adding to broader debates around political surveillance concerns and Harare mobilisation strategies.