SAPES Trust In Fire Drama

Pakaipa in the political streets of Zimbabwe as the nation awaits 2 press conferences to be held in 2 cities. Smoke, politics, and plenty of whispers! The SAPES Trust offices in Harare went up in flames early Tuesday morning — just hours before a much-hyped opposition press conference that was supposed to “reshape” the political game.

The fire, confirmed by SAPES director Dr. Ibbo Mandaza on X (formerly Twitter), has set off a storm of speculation. Some believe it was a targeted act of sabotage, while others are questioning the timing — calling it a “well-timed distraction” ahead of an event that many already expected to flop.

“The SAPES Trust is under arson attack. A dark day for freedom and democracy,” Mandaza posted, drawing hundreds of reactions within minutes.

The blaze came just before opposition heavyweights Job Sikhala, Jameson Timba, Tendai Biti, and several others were set to address what insiders billed as a grand political announcement Their goal: to challenge ZANU PF’s 2030 agenda and set up a new platform for the 2028 elections.

SAPES trust also claimed to be a victim of an arson attack during the 2023 elections. SAPES Trust is generally not viewed as a threat to ZANU PF as it is an outdated political think tank that relies heavily on donor funding and failed to do anything spectacular in the Zimbabwean political field.

It is hilarious that Ibbo Mandaza still pushes the narrative of a National Transitional Authority even though he realises that the political landscape has shifted and Zimbabwe is moving in a different direction.