The struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe is alive and growing. The arrest of Job Sikhala and 39 other activists in Penhalonga proves one thing very clearly — ZANU PF is scared. The ruling party knows that its time is running out. It knows that the people are tired, angry, and ready for change. And instead of listening, it is responding with fear, violence, and abuse of power.

Job Sikhala is not a criminal. He is a citizen, a leader, and a voice for the voiceless. On the day of the arrest, he and his colleagues were attending a private National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) meeting. NDWG is not a political party. It is simply a movement to bring citizens together and talk about the future of Zimbabwe. But even that is too much for the regime. They saw the meeting as a threat. Why? Because the truth is powerful — and ZANU PF is terrified of it.

After the arrests, all 40 were released — except for the group’s national organiser, Engineer Joelson Mugari. Mugari was denied access to his life-saving medication. His condition became critical while in custody. Only after pressure from fellow activists was he rushed to Mutare General Hospital. This is not law enforcement — it is cruelty. It is torture. It is a clear message from ZANU PF: we do not care about your life if you speak against us.

The arrest operation itself was like a military raid. CIO agents arrived in a dark-windowed Toyota Hilux to spy on the meeting. Later, another vehicle without number plates brought in officers from the Police Intelligence and CID Law and Order. Then the riot police came — with AK-47s. They beat people, kicked them, dragged them. This is the face of the state. This is what Zimbabweans face for simply gathering and talking.

Even respected figures like Dr. Wurayayi Zembe were not spared. A police officer pointed a gun at him and threatened to shoot. Dr. Zembe remained calm — a picture of bravery in the face of terror. Sikhala, too, was confronted by a top officer who refused to shake his hand and mocked him with spiritual insults. These were acts of desperation, not strength.

The activists were accused of violating the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA). But that law does not require clearance for private executive meetings. ZANU PF holds its own closed-door meetings without asking the police. Why should citizens be treated differently? The law is being twisted to crush dissent, not to protect peace.

In the rain, the arrested were thrown into police trucks. They sat for hours on dirty floors at Penhalonga Police Station. They were later moved to Mutare CID, where four of them — Sikhala, Mugari, Dr. Zembe, and one other — were taken for questioning. Yet no real charges were brought. This was not justice. It was political punishment.

ZANU PF is desperate. The cracks in the party are growing. The fights over who will succeed Mnangagwa are becoming louder. And the fear of the people’s power is spreading through the system. Instead of fixing the country, the government is chasing shadows. Instead of solving the economic crisis, it is sending riot police to silence peaceful citizens.

But this fear-driven strategy will not work. Zimbabweans are not blind. They see what is happening. They feel the hunger. They live the struggle. And they know who is to blame. Arrests will not stop the demand for change. Beatings will not stop the truth. No dictatorship lasts forever — and ZANU PF’s time is almost up.

The world is watching. And the people are rising. Let the regime hear this clearly: you can jail activists, but you cannot jail a nation’s dream for freedom.