By A Correspondent– Chaos erupted in Gutu District last Tuesday, when a known Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative, only identified by his nickname “Stavo,” allegedly led an illegal citizen arrest and harassment of local villagers engaged in voluntary roadside grass-clearing for school children’s safety.
The incident occurred at around 11 a.m. when Stavo, driving a red Honda Fit reportedly linked to previous political violence, blocked a highway and aggressively confronted a local resident who was part of the roadside maintenance initiative.
The confrontation escalated when four men exited the vehicle and surrounded the man in an intimidating formation.
Soon after, Gutu Ward 35 Zanu PF Councillor and former Rural District Council CEO, Benson Kurauone Dandira, arrived in a white Nissan twin cab, accompanied by a group of party supporters.
According to eyewitnesses, Dandira’s entourage appeared ready to engage in violence, causing alarm among villagers, most of whom were armed only with sickles and slashers used for clearing the roadside.
This followed a morning campaign convoy involving Zanu PF officials in which an unregistered green Ford Ranger — believed to belong to the CIO — transported rally equipment through the same road.
The villagers say Stavo, previously seen at political gatherings and bars in the area, has developed a reputation for bullying and harassment in the district.
During the confrontation, Stavo reportedly seized a mobile phone from local parent Tendai Jayben, which had US$300 tucked inside its cover.
When the phone was returned five hours later, the money was missing. Jayben said she was never informed about who had taken the money or why she had been detained.
Stavo is said to have shouted, “You have been arrested,” without identifying himself or presenting valid credentials.
When the villagers demanded identification, he instead instructed a police officer named O. Sibanda, allegedly known for accompanying such operations, to produce his ID.
According to legal experts familiar with the case, Stavo claimed the arrest was conducted under the “Feret” system — a shadowy joint operations team comprising agents from the CIO, Criminal Investigations Department (CID), army, prisons, and police.
However, arrest powers lie exclusively with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, raising questions about the legality of the entire operation.
The victim was forcibly taken to Gutu Police Station, where he was detained for five hours without being formally charged. Dandira reportedly told the detainee that he had been arrested for clearing roadside grass without the councillor’s permission.
Critics have described the incident as evidence of the increasing militarisation and politicisation of Zimbabwe’s intelligence services. “This is not how a professional State intelligence agency should function. The CIO has become a militia at the service of Zanu PF,” one human rights activist said.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) last year released a report highlighting similar concerns, warning that intelligence officers were becoming too visible in political processes and were routinely involved in rights violations in rural areas.
Attempts to reach the CIO Director General Fulton Mangwanya for comment were unsuccessful.
This latest incident adds to growing calls for security sector reforms amid fears that State institutions are being repurposed into partisan instruments of repression.
-Online