Zimbabwe: Authorities must investigate brutal attack on constitutional lawyer and political activists

Responding to the brutal attack in Harare on Professor Lovemore Madhuku, the leader of the opposition National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), and several other political activists on March 1, by armed men in full view of the police, Amnesty International Zimbabwe’s Executive Director, Lucia Masuka, said:

“Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Effort Manono, and other activists from his party had gathered for a meeting when they were violently beaten with batons in the presence of uniformed police officers. This violent attack is a blatant violation of the rights to personal security, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.

This violent attack is a blatant violation of the rights to personal security, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.

Lucia Masuka, Executive Director, Amnesty International Zimbabwe

This violent attack is a blatant violation of the rights to personal security, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.

“This assault is the latest outrage targeting critics opposed to changing the Constitution to allow the extension of presidential term limits. Zimbabwean authorities must immediately end the escalating crackdown on peaceful dissent, which has seen public meetings banned and critics brutally attacked, arbitrarily detained, and silenced.

Zimbabwean authorities must immediately end the escalating crackdown on peaceful dissent, which has seen public meetings banned and critics brutally attacked, arbitrarily detained, and silenced.

Lucia Masuka

Zimbabwean authorities must immediately end the escalating crackdown on peaceful dissent, which has seen public meetings banned and critics brutally attacked, arbitrarily detained, and silenced.

“Authorities must promptly, thoroughly, impartially, independently, transparently, and effectively investigate the attacks on these NCA members and bring to justice those suspected to be responsible.  Authorities must ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims and their families. They must create an environment that guarantees and ensures the effective exercise of the human rights of everyone in the country, including the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly, allowing everyone to peacefully express their opinions without the risk of interference, intimidation, attacks, or reprisals.”

Background

On 1 March 2026, armed unidentified men forced their way into the Harare offices of Professor Lovemore Madhuku’s political NCA party, violently interrupting a meeting and attacking several participants. Zimbabwean authorities have targeted activists opposed to the extension of presidential term limits. 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