Fear grips students amid signs of intensifying repression

Fear is rippling through Zimbabwe’s student community after a series of abductions, harassment and the suspected killing of a student who opposed extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term beyond the constitutional limit.

The drive to silence critics of extending Mnangagwa’s presidency has deepened campus anxiety and triggered rights groups’ warnings of mounting repression.

After long-time ruler Robert Mugabe’s 2017 ouster, Mnangagwa inherited power and pledged to step down at the constitutional limit – two five-year terms.

That has not stopped Zanu-PF from pressing a constitutional amendment to keep him in office. Mnangagwa’s cabinet approved the plan, and parliament is now weighing a bill to extend his term.

This plan has been mooted for years, but the ruling party first resolved to implement it in October 2025.

Authorities are tightening their grip: academic freedom and student activism are under direct assault, with speech stifled, gatherings broken up and dissent met with punishment – undermining basic student rights and campus life.

Students oppose term extension

On 20 March, Midlands State University (MSU) students Anenyasha Moyo and Langton Muhoma (both 22), arrested last year for opposing Mnangagwa’s term extension, had charges withdrawn before plea.

A third student charged alongside them, Milton Muchayana (21), disappeared before the court appearance and his family now fears he was murdered.

A statement by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on the case says the three students were initially arrested on 8 August 2025 by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers at the MSU Gweru campus and charged with subverting constitutional government.

The human rights lawyers said in court that prosecutors alleged that Muchayana, Moyo and Muhoma connived to originate information inciting public violence against government, which was inscribed on 12 fliers and distributed to some MSU students.

Prosecutors told the Gweru Magistrate’s Court that two mobile phone handsets allegedly used to originate and print the inciting information were seized from the students and were being held as exhibits for use during the trial.

The lawyers said the three students spent 14 days in detention before they were granted bail by Masvingo High Court Judge Justice Regis Dembure.

One student feared murdered

In an interview with University World News, Reginald Chidawanyika of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said that, while Moyo and Muhoma had charges withdrawn on 20 March, Muchayana was not in court on the day, as he disappeared months ago and his mother now suspects that he could have been murdered.

Chidawanyika said that, after Muchayana got bail at the High Court, he resumed lectures but was later suspended by MSU.

“He was served with a suspension letter and escorted out of the premises with his belongings. [In] his last call he advised [his] mum of his predicament. He called using a phone he had borrowed from a student. He had no phone; his had been seized by police as an exhibit,” said the lawyer.

Chidawanyika said Muchayana has since been declared a missing person.

“He was last seen the day MSU security served him with a suspension letter and escorted him from university premises,” said Chidawanyika.

“The mother is convinced now the boy was murdered.”

Mounting risks

Risks for opposing Mnangagwa’s term extension plans are mounting by the day.

A statement by Amnesty International Zimbabwe noted that, on 20 March, Delano Cole, a Zimbabwe National Students Union leader at Chinhoyi University of Technology, was abducted from a lecture debating the constitutional amendment seeking to remove presidential term limits.

The human rights watchdog said the latest abduction not only threatens freedom of assembly, association and expression, but also academic freedom and participation in university public life.

It said other students have previously been kidnapped at the same institution.

“On 10 November 2025, two other students from the same institution, 23-year-old Marlvin Madanda and 21-year-old Lindon Zanga, were allegedly abducted and found the next day reportedly dumped, beaten and injured,” Amnesty International Zimbabwe said in a statement.

“We urge the authorities to investigate the latest abduction and ensure that students can exercise their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and organise without fear of reprisals, intimidation and torture.”

A student leader who was present when Cole was abducted at Chinhoyi University of Technology told University World News that the victim had since been freed but gave no details, fearing for his own life after escaping the kidnappers.

“Currently my security is compromised,” said the student, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals.

“About 30 ZINASU [Zimbabwe National Students Union] cadres are hiding. This has affected them both academically and emotionally. You cannot feel comfortable reading, knowing that you can be captured anytime.”

The campaign of intimidation to railroad changes to benefit Mnangagwa by silencing critics goes beyond targeting students.

Lecturer attacked

On 1 March, armed unidentified men forced their way into a meeting chaired by University of Zimbabwe law lecturer Professor Lovemore Madhuku and attacked several participants.

Madhuku, who leads the National Constitutional Assembly and has filed an application in court to oppose Mnangagwa’s term extension plans, suffered some injuries.

A statement by Amnesty International Zimbabwe issued following the attack said there is an escalating crackdown on peaceful dissent, which has seen public meetings banned and critics brutally attacked, arbitrarily detained and silenced.

“Political activist Godfrey Karembera has been in pretrial detention since his arrest on 20 October 2025. He faces charges of incitement to commit public violence for allegedly distributing flyers ahead of a protest march that was scheduled for 17 October 2025. Over 90 other activists opposed to the extension of term limits were arrested on 31 March 2025 for allegedly gathering with intent to promote public violence,” said the statement.

On 21 March, human rights lawyer and Zimbabwean opposition leader Tendai Biti, who leads the Constitution Defenders Forum, was arrested while campaigning to oppose Mnangagwa’s term extension manoeuvres.

Biti was later granted bail under conditions that curtail his rights to continue speaking out against efforts to remove the presidential term limit to benefit the incumbent.