Event Summary
On 10 November 2025, two student union leaders and activists from Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) and members of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) were abducted at Mzimba Shopping Centre and later found with severe injuries from beatings. The abduction was carried out by unidentified individuals in a grey Isuzu vehicle without registration plates. Earlier that day, the same vehicle was reportedly seen distributing campaign materials for the Zimbabwe Congress of Students’ Union (ZICOSU), a student movement aligned with the ruling ZANU PF party. Both victims were candidates in the ongoing Student Representative Council (SRC) elections.
This incident highlights escalating threats to freedom of expression, association and political participation within Zimbabwe’s higher education institutions. Under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, state agencies have intensified crackdowns on dissent, with student activists frequently subjected to intimidation, suspension, and violence. Similar incidents have been reported at Midlands State University and Great Zimbabwe University, illustrating a systemic pattern of repression.