Prominent Activist Fears For His Life After Heavily Armed Men Raid Harare Leisure Centre Looking For Him
Prominent activist Briggs Bomba has claimed that armed individuals, suspected to be state security agents, raided a leisure facility he operates in Harare with intentions to harm him.
At the time of the incident, Bomba was not at the Sherwood Golf Club, where approximately 20 men carrying AK-47 rifles arrived in at least nine vehicles, demanding, “Where is Briggs Bomba?!”
Reports indicate that Retired Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje, a member of the ZANU PF politburo, was among the patrons present during the raid. It is believed that he contacted the police after the armed men departed.
In a statement issued on 14 August 2024, Bomba, who serves as the Programs Director for TrustAfrica, a pan-African foundation that works across Africa to promote democratic governance and equitable development, said:
On the evening of August 7, 2024, a group of armed men wielding AK-47 rifles stormed a community hub in Harare, where they expected me to be present. They clearly intended to abduct me and cause unimaginable harm.
The attackers came in four unmarked Toyota Fortuner vehicles and, in movie style, took control of the entrance gate and positioned their cars strategically facing the exit, headlights on, engines running, and drivers on the ready.
They proceeded to search the premises for my whereabouts, causing destruction and seizing electronic devices.
The security guard manning the gate was brutally assaulted and force-marched at gunpoint as the men demanded he show them where to find me.
Additionally, two unmarked cars barricaded my house during the incident.
Witnesses described the attackers as menacing and extremely violent, and it was clear that their intentions were malicious.
It is evident that this was a direct attempt on my life, with a significant amount of state resources deployed for this mission.
So far, nine cars and not less than 20 men have been identified as being associated with this deadly operation.
I narrowly escaped harm because the attackers initiated their plan upon seeing my car, assuming I was present when, in reality, I wasn’t.
The facility that was targeted is a welcoming community space where people from diverse backgrounds gather, including children who participate in sports and socialize.
It is a space known as “everyone’s home.” Among those present during the attack were senior military officers who promptly called the police, although the gunmen had left by the time the police arrived.
The police recorded statements in the aftermath of the incident, and with political will, it would be possible to establish the facts of this matter.
Bomba vowed to persist with his advocacy despite the “Gestapo tactics that eerily resemble Rhodesian-style methods” employed by his assailants. He said:
Although the bewilderment and trauma from this experience are still fresh for me, what feels more poignant now is a sense of incredulity and deep disappointment.
At a time when we’re seeing signs of progress with communities coming together, protecting each other, and standing up for what’s right on a global scale, in my Zimbabwe, we are extinguishing the hope and life of our citizens and young people with callous acts.
Leadership in Zimbabwe needs to do better than this and put an end to these Gestapo manoeuvres, which too closely resemble Rhodesian-style tactics that were used to terrorize and dehumanize black Zimbabweans before independence.
I remain fully resolved and committed to the true call for liberation until genuine freedom reigns for all in this beautiful country.
In that regard, I would like to call for the release of all political detainees and an end to the brutality, harassment, intimidation, and criminalization of activists and civil society leaders perceived as opposition.
We cannot allow a scenario where civil society is an endangered species.
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