Harare — Amnesty International Zimbabwe has called for an urgent and independent investigation into the violent assault of constitutional lawyer and opposition leader Lovemore Madhuku and several political activists following a brutal attack in Harare on 1 March 2026.
Professor Madhuku, who leads the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), was reportedly assaulted along with party members Effort Manono and others after armed, unidentified men forced their way into the party’s offices during a meeting. Witnesses say the attackers used batons and carried out the assault in full view of uniformed police officers.
In a statement, Amnesty International Zimbabwe’s Executive Director Lucia Masuka described the incident as a serious violation of fundamental rights.
“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,” Masuka said. “This violent attack is a blatant violation of the rights to personal security, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.”
Masuka further said the assault forms part of what Amnesty describes as an escalating crackdown on dissent, particularly targeting critics opposed to proposed constitutional amendments that would extend presidential term limits.
“This assault is the latest outrage targeting critics opposed to changing the Constitution to allow the extension of presidential term limits,” she said. “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.”
Amnesty International has urged authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into the attack and to bring those responsible to justice. The organisation also called for victims and their families to be granted access to justice and effective remedies.
The rights group emphasised the need for the government to guarantee the protection of constitutional freedoms, including the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly, without fear of intimidation or reprisals.
Background
According to reports, armed men stormed the NCA offices in Harare on 1 March 2026, disrupting a party meeting and assaulting several attendees.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions over proposed constitutional changes relating to presidential term limits. Authorities have in recent months arrested and detained several activists opposed to the proposed amendments.
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 in connection with the alleged distribution of flyers ahead of a protest march that had been scheduled for 17 October 2025.
In addition, more than 90 activists opposing the extension of term limits were arrested on 31 March 2025 for allegedly gathering with intent to promote public violence.
Investigations into the March 1 attack on Professor Madhuku and other NCA members have not yet been publicly detailed by authorities.