My name is Anesuishe Temmy Nhauro, born on November 22, 2001. My home address is 5549 Manyame Park, St Marys, Harare. I attended Zengeza 2 High and Zengeza 4 High Schools. Growing up amidst the economic turbulence that plagued Zimbabwe, my educational journey at Zengeza 2 High and Zengeza 4 High Schools was riddled with challenges. The erratic strikes by teachers jeopardized our learning, compelling me and my peers to take action. Fueled by our determination to secure a better education, we organized petitions, rallying for the welfare of our educators. Our efforts, coordinated under the banner of the Zimbabwe High School Students Union (ZIHISU), bore witness to the resilience of youth activism.
However, advocating for change came at a cost. Expulsion from Zengeza 2 High School became a stark reality, but it only strengthened my resolve. Transitioning to Zengeza 4 High School, I found myself marked as a dissenting voice, a black sheep amidst the flock. Despite the adversities, my commitment to social justice and reform remained unwavering
Post-education, I found my calling in activism, joining the youth wing of the opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa. My involvement deepened, leading to my appointment as St Marys Secretary for Organising in the Youth Assembly.
However, my baptism into mainstream politics came amid tragedy at the funeral of Moreblessing Ali, a fervent supporter of our cause. The eruption of violence between Zanu PF and CCC supporters, followed by police brutality, left me battered and disillusioned. Despite the trauma, my determination to effect change in Zimbabwe remained unyielding.
While at Moreblessing Ali’s funeral, violence broke out between Zanu PF and CCC supporters. In no time riot police were at the scene and unleashed violence against CCC supporters. As someone who was fairly new to political activism of such kind, I was caught-up and heavily assaulted. Attempts to make a police report did not yield results as the police at St Mary’s police station refused to open a docket. I could not seek treatment at government medical facilities and had to be treated at a private medical facility for victims of political violence.
The incident at Manyame did not discourage me from continuing with political activism because I had so much conviction to fight for political change in Zimbabwe. When the 2023 general elections were called, we organised ourselves as Chitungwiza youths to embark on a door-to-door voter mobilisation drive. Our determination was to improve the voter population and our target were youths who did not vote in the 2018 electoions. The door-to-door campaign took us to every corner of Chitungwiza and the campaign was a resounding success as we mobilized more than 50 000 youths to register to vote. When the Zanu PF regime heard about our campaign and how it was yielding massive results, they instructed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission workers who were registering new voters to frustrate our people so that they do not register. Noticing a change in attitude from the voter registration officers, we mobilised about 200 youths to stage a demonstration at Makoni voter registration centre. A genuine demonstration we had organsed was once crushed by riot police, with tens of our youths assaulted while two were kidnapped and went missing for over a week.
The state security agents then started hunting us down in the middle of the night, as part of Zanu PF efforts to stop us from conscientizing youths on the need to register to vote and voting in the 2023 elections. On more than two occasions my house was raided by men driving unmarked vehicles in the middle of the night. They were looking for me and, on both occasions, they could not get into our yard due to the noise from our dogs. Noticing that our dogs were hindering them from their sinister mission, they hatched a plan to kill the dogs. I should say that I was so traumatised and broken to wake up one day to see our two Germany shepherd dogs lying on the ground lifeless.
From that very day, they started coming to my house even during the day, pretending to be from pro-opposition civil society groups who were interested in working with me on voter registration campaign. I spurned all their overtures but sensing increasing danger I had to seek refuge at a safe house based in Zengeza. I stayed there for close to a month and only returned home when I was told that it was safe.
I continued with my party duties. I vividly recall one day when I survived a near abduction while coming from the Harare Central Business District when I was surrounded by a group of women who started accusing me of being a rapist who had raped an under-age child from their area. They created a scene that for close to 30 minutes, there was a gathering of more than 50 people who wanted to witness and see what was happening.
I was only saved by the Chairlady of our Chitungwiza committee who after hearing of what was happening rushed to rescue me. She knew one of the ladies whom she told to stop what they were doing. That was when they disappeared from the scene. For foiling their plan, our chairlady also got into serious trouble getting anonymous calls from people who accused her or defending a rapist.
As someone who had finished my university studies, there was an incident that I am yet to exactly figure out what could have happened. I received a phone call from a certain local company where I had applied for a job. They wanted me to attend an interview but surprisingly, the address they gave me was not the one where they were based. The company was based in Chitungwiza but I was being called to Chadcombe. When I tried to search for the address, they gave me, on Google Maps, it directed to a well-known training centre for the Central Intelligence Organisation. I immediately sensed danger and decided against going there. I was shocked and disturbed because I failed to locate the relationship between the company that had advertised for a job and how they state security system got to know and took over the so-called recruitment process. That is the last time I applied for a job in Zimbabwe.
As we got into the 2023 election period, peace returned and for a moment, I lived free of harassment from state security agents. We campaigned in the whole of Chitungwiza. On the polling day, we braced the chilli weather to be at polling stations with the intention to defend our votes. We were frustrated as most voting centres did not have ballot papers for people to vote. We waited long hours in queues just so we could get a chance to vote. Our determination carried us through the more than 16 hours without voting. We eventually voted and our movement recorded massive wins. Even our presidential candidate Advocate Nelson Chamisa performed exceptionally well.
Soon after the elections, after Zanu PF was announced the winner, trouble returned. The state security agents were worried about Chamisa’s silence as he did not announce an immediate way forward as was expected by both his supporters and the Zanu PF regime. Chamisa’s silence meant that known and vocal CCC supporters were put on surveillance by the Zanu PF regime.
Being one of the targeted people, I went into hiding for some months and only resurfaced around October 2023 when dust had appeared to have settled. When I returned back home, I reconnected with other party supporters in Chitungwiza and continued with my life.
On the fateful evening of January 25, 2024, as we convened at the residence of our local leader, a sudden commotion shattered the tranquility. Out of nowhere, a Toyota Hilux GD6 screeched to a halt, disgorging more than 20 individuals whose faces remained obscured in the night’s shadows. With alarming ferocity, they surged toward us, leaving no time for contemplation as we scattered in panic, seeking refuge wherever we could find it.
In the chaos, I found myself ensnared, forcibly bundled into the vehicle alongside two fellow members of the CCC, our identities concealed beneath hoods. Blindfolded and disoriented, we were transported to an undisclosed location, the journey shrouded in uncertainty. There, amidst the darkness and anonymity, we fell victim to relentless physical assault—blows raining down upon us, lashes from sjamboks lacerating our flesh, and icy water dousing our senses.
Accusations hurled at us with venomous intent, they branded us as conspirators, alleging plans to destabilize the regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa. For three harrowing days, we endured the torment of daily beatings, our pleas for sustenance falling upon deaf ears as hunger gnawed at our weakened frames.
Then, on the 28th of January, our ordeal reached its abrupt conclusion as we were callously abandoned amidst the bustle of Ruwa, a 40 kilometers distant from our initial abduction point in Chitungwiza. A chilling warning echoed in our ears as they departed, a grim reminder of the consequences awaiting any further defiance—another onslaught looming ominously on the horizon.
On the following day, January 29, 2024, we filed a police report as we were determined to expose the atrocities inflicted upon us and to stand unwavering in our pursuit of truth and accountability.
After this horrendous incident, they visited my young brother who is still in High School and told him that they were watching his movements and should I go public about my ordeal, they will finish me off. My aunt who lives in the countryside also received an anonymous call with a similar message.
Leaving behind loved ones and a life built on activism, I embarked on a journey into exile, haunted by the knowledge that my pursuit of justice had placed not only myself but also my family in trouble. The sacrifices made in the name of a better Zimbabwe weigh heavy on my heart, but the fight for a brighter future endures, a flickering flame of hope amid the darkness of tyranny.