By A Correspondent| Renowned human rights defender Leo Chamahwinya is now living in fear after one of the newpapers carried out an article which linked him to regime change agents in Zimbabwe.

Chamahwinya told this publication that he is not a regime change agent and has never participated in any actions which are criminal. These malicious articles if anything are precursor to persecution and abductions.

“History teaches us that whenever the state wants to prefer flimsy and baseless charges against human rights defenders they start by throwing allegations in newspapers and later pounce on activists”, he lamented.

Leo is a peace loving Zimbabwean who believe in legitimate transfer of power and has never advocated for regime change in Zimbabwe.

The allegations are malicious, baseless and are meant to intimidate human rights defenders who are tirelessly working for the establishment of an envronment which promotes and protect the rights of Zimbabweans.

Zimbabwe government is in a process of enacting Private Voluntary Amendment Bill and this bill among other things will closes and shrink the operating space for NGOs and has the potential of criminalising the work of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe.