‘Mugabe was bad, this is worse’ – Chamisa condemns abduction, torture of CUT students as Amnesty International demands investigation

By Staff Reporter

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has condemned the abduction and torture of two Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) students during Students Representative Council (SRC) election campaigns, describing the brutality as “barbaric and pure evil.”

The students, Marlvin Saint Madanda and Lindon Zanga, who are members of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), were allegedly abducted on Monday night at Mzimba Shopping Centre in Chinhoyi.

According to ZINASU, the two were taken by unidentified individuals driving an unmarked grey Isuzu, a vehicle that had previously been seen on the CUT campus distributing campaign materials for their rivals, the Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (ZICOSU).

Madanda and Zanga were later found in Shamva, about 120 kilometres from where they were abducted, visibly injured, shaken, and unable to sit or walk properly.

Narrating their ordeal, Zanga said they were tortured for more than 12 hours for allegedly chanting slogans deemed to be against the ruling ZANU PF party during their SRC campaign.

“The abductors took us to a forest and accused us of campaigning and chanting slogans against ZANU PF,” Zanga said. “We clearly told them we were simply conducting ZINASU campaigns, which had nothing to do with ZANU PF.”

Dear Mr Mnangagwa…This is why this evil must be fought for as long as is necessary, . even for the rest of our lives or with our own lives. This is wrong in all material respects! pic.twitter.com/Kau1kuozeZ

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) November 11, 2025

Chamisa compared the attack to atrocities committed under the late former president Robert Mugabe, saying the current wave of repression was “even worse.”

During Mugabe’s long tenure, opposition activists were routinely abducted, tortured and killed for being critical of his administration and ruling party.

Writing on X, Chamisa said: “Dear @PoliceZimbabwe, why should this terrorism and primitive brutality on harmless students and innocent citizens be allowed to continue? Mr Mnangagwa, why should this not worry or concern you? Mugabe was bad. This is worse. So barbaric. This is pure evil!”

Meanwhile, human rights organisation Amnesty International has called for a thorough investigation into the attack and urged authorities to protect students’ rights to peaceful assembly and association.

“These attacks threaten not just freedoms of assembly, expression, and association, but also the rights to education, non-discrimination, academic freedom, and participation in university public life.

“We urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate these attacks and ensure that students can exercise their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisals, intimidation, or torture,” Amnesty International said in a statement.