On 29 August 2026, police arrested 22 members (17 women and 5 men) of the National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) at a private home in Emakhandeni, Bulawayo. The group said it had gathered to pray for an ill member. They were taken first to Emakhandeni Police Station and then to CID Law and Order at Bulawayo Central Police Station. They were released later that day without a formal charge. According to their lawyer, Prisca Dube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, police alleged that the group had been planning a demonstration and may proceed by summons after formulating a charge. Participants had traveled from Harare, Chimanimani, Masvingo and Filabusi. The arrests raise concerns about interference with peaceful association and assembly, particularly where police act before identifying a specific offense.
