By Liam Kanhenga| Dear Reader Following the abduction and torture of Harare Youth MP, Honourable Takudzaa Ngadziore, one can deduce that the regime has activated terror mode as a means to ringfence its power.

Remember that this is not the first of such actions, both this year and in our political history.

During the elections, Cnlr Womberaishe Nhende was subjected to the same; Hon. Joanna Mamombe (Harare West MP) was attacked  in her homestead in the middle of the night; and former Mabvuku lawmaker James Chidhakwa was also abducted.

So in case you wonder why the Harare regime is doing this, readers should remember that our country has a long history of disputed leadership, legitimacy crises, and authoritarianism that date as far back as the Mugabe era.

So to put this in context, Zanu PF, after realizing the potential reality of failing to access absolute power because of the existence of opposition, long developed a perception of dislike for multiparty systems and hence invested in creating a de facto one-party state.

They use terror, both physical and systemic, to close the civic and democratic space through passing draconian legislation, entrenching a military state, and using the Big Brother system (where the government spies on its own people).

Now that, after the elections, the result was disputed and the dynamics have turned to be incentivizing opposition,the regime will do all it can to ensure that any self-organizing group is repressed and demoblized. And in authoritarian philosophy, fear is the greatest source of power. Hence, terror on frontline activists and opposition.

Remember, in 2018, more than ten opposition members and leaders of the MDC Alliance, including the National Chairman Job Sikhala and Secretary General Charlton Hwende, were charged with treason after threatening to escalate the resistance campaign against Zanu PF.

The same script is being rewritten again, and this time it is about dismembering the opposition totally because their hundred and something seats are the only thing keeping Mnangagwa away from a third term.

Zanu PF can’t amend the constitution without a super majority, and because this time parliament is hung on a bipartisan bridge, the war is clearly aimed at undermining opposition.

Even when Mnangagwa rules by decree, the opposition will  challenge it , and that is why he is terrorizing opposition members.