65 Soldiers Detained as ‘People’s Army’ Leaflets Rock Military Barracks
More than 60 members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) have allegedly been arrested and are under investigation following the circulation of anonymous leaflets critical of the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) across several military installations in Harare.
The allegations – unconfirmed – were made by retired Lieutenant General Winston Sigauke Mapuranga in a statement released on Thursday, in which he claimed that approximately 65 officers, men and women from the army had been detained by Intelligence Field Security personnel attached to the Military Intelligence Directorate (MID).
According to Mapuranga, those arrested include guard commanders, sentries and junior-ranking soldiers who were on duty when the leaflets were allegedly distributed.
“As I speak, they are being held at 2 Brigade Headquarters, Cranborne Barracks. They are undergoing interrogation and, reports indicate, torture in an attempt to force confessions regarding the distribution of leaflets bearing the code name ‘The People’s Army’,” Mapuranga said.
The leaflets were reportedly discovered on Wednesday morning at several military establishments, including 1 Commando Regiment, 2 Brigade Headquarters, Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks, Dzivaresekwa Barracks, Manyame Air Base and Air Force Headquarters.
Mapuranga alleged that the arrests had generated anger among rank-and-file members of the Defence Forces and called for the immediate release of those detained.
“The men and women you have arrested are innocent. Release them immediately and end this madness of persecuting soldiers for expressing the frustrations of the entire institution,” he said.
In his statement, the retired army officer further claimed that the leaflet distribution was an “inside operation” carried out by serving members of the security forces rather than external actors.
“You will never identify the individuals responsible through these methods because this was not the work of outsiders. It was an inside operation carried out by serving personnel to warn you,” he said.
The leaflets, according to Mapuranga, carried messages opposing CAB3 and warning against what he described as attempts to use the military to advance factional political interests.
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces and the Ministry of Defence had not issued an official statement on the matter at the time of publication, and the allegations regarding the arrests, detention conditions and reported torture could not be independently verified.
The reported development comes amid heightened national debate surrounding Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which has generated discussion within political and civic circles over its implications for governance and constitutional reform.
Observers say any confirmed arrests within the military linked to the circulation of politically charged material would likely attract significant public and institutional attention given the traditionally disciplined and hierarchical nature of Zimbabwe’s security services.
Authorities are yet to comment on the authenticity of the leaflets or whether formal charges have been brought against any of the detained personnel.
