By Brighton Chiseva
Zaka ward 24 Zanu PF Councilor Zivanai Zvada is languishing in cells following his arrest on April 1 for incitement to commit public disorder after forwarding a ‘Mnangagwa a must go’ message in a ward WhatsApp group on March 31.
He appeared before a Zaka Magistrate on March 3, and was remanded in custody to March 7, for bail application.
Zvada allegedly forwarded an X post by political activist Never Masweraseyi, which called for the removal of President Emerson Mnangagwa, in a WhatsApp group called ward 24 development agenda.
Though the Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dehwa told TellZim News that his office was yet to receive the report, this publication was reliably informed that Zvada was taken in the evening after attending a full council meeting
The group was originally created by Zaka RDC CEO David Majaura as a ward development group and was later taken over by Zvada after he was elected ward councilor and had been using it as an official WhatsApp channel for communicating with the ward.
Sources privy to the matter said Zvada forwarded the message on Monday 31, on the day that was meant for demonstration and remained there for the whole day until he deleted it in the evening after being warned by fellow group members.
“He posted the message early in the morning and people discussed about it in their inboxes but no one alerted him. He was later told about it and went on to delete the post in the evening,” said the source.
What is interesting is that Zvada posted the message in a group created by David Majaura, the Zaka RDC CEO, with whom he has a complicated history.
Zvada was a key figure in the push to remove Majaura from the council, adding a layer of complexity to the story.
Contacted for comment Majaura said he was in court and would call back later. Several attempts to get his comment were futile as his cell was either not available or unanswered.
Zvada is one of the constituency coordinators for Zaka South MP Clemence Chiduwa and is an ally to Council Chairperson Fungai Maregedze who is Chiduwa’s wife in the heavily divided Zaka RDC.
It is worth noting that his arrest wasn’t an isolated incident. Recently, a 31-year-old police officer, Milton Murairwa, was arrested for posting a similar message on a WhatsApp group for police members. These arrests highlight the government’s efforts to crack down on dissenting voices, particularly on social media.
Another former Chiredzi Zanu PF councilor Tarusenga Makamba was arrested for a similar charge after sending an audio in a WhatsApp group saying Chikomo cheHwedza Chatsva.
