1. I hear a magistrate has convicted Makomborero Haruzivishe for allegedly “inciting public violence” sometime in 2020. Details are scant. But it was only a matter of time before the Mnangagwa regime started to convict & lock up political opponents. It will only get worse. 
2. More disappointing is the scant media attention to this significant milestone. If my memory is faithful, this is the first conviction of an opposition official for “inciting public violence”. But I could only find the story in 1 major publication & only in 4 short paragraphs!
3. Apart from a passing mention of the state’s case, there are no details of the basis of the conviction. But this case is just the start of a trend of more such convictions. Mugabe largely used arrests of activists as a scare tactic. ED goes the whole hog. He convicts & jails.
4. There are several activists awaiting trial. The case of Mako is ominous for all of them. A few will be acquitted to give the impression of a fair justice system but you can expect several convictions. These convictions are meant to send a strong political message to activists.
5. The colonial regime used similar strategies. Mnangagwa himself is an ex-con. He was tried & convicted as a young man, & spent years in a Rhodesian jail. It’s ironic that he is subjecting young political activists who are challenging his rule to the same vicious treatment.
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