By Fanuel Chinowaita
HARARE | 28 October 2025— The SAPES Trust Seminar Room, a well-known venue for public discussions and civic dialogues, was completely gutted by fire early Tuesday morning in what authorities believe to be a case of arson.
According to SAPES Trust Director Professor Ibbo Mandaza, the attack occurred around 12:40 a.m., when unknown assailants set the seminar room ablaze before abducting the security guard who was on duty.
“The SAPES Trust Seminar Room, the usual venue for meetings, has been completely gutted by the arsonists who have since abducted the security guard who was on duty,” Mandaza said in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
He added that the attackers appeared organized. “Yes, it was an organized attack … the main target was the SAPES Trust Seminar Room, which has been left gutted to the ground by fire; and then they abducted the guard on duty after locking up the gate with two padlocks,” Mandaza wrote.
The attack comes just hours before a National Press Conference scheduled to be held today at SAPES Trust, under the theme “Constitutional Crossroads: Citizens Respond to Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Crisis.”
Following the incident, the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF) issued an emergency press statement condemning what it described as a cowardly and deliberate assault on constitutional freedoms.
> “This cowardly act, coming after a similar incident in August 2023, represents a direct assault on freedom of thought, association and expression, values that lie at the heart of our Constitutional democracy,” the statement read.
CDF urged law enforcement agencies to act swiftly and bring the perpetrators to justice while ensuring the safety of civic actors and institutions.
“Let it be known, intimidation, violence and fear will not silence the voices defending constitutionalism and the rule of law,” CDF said, adding that the incident should serve as a call for heightened vigilance and unity among citizens.
The SAPES Trust, founded by Prof. Mandaza, has long been recognized as a platform for national dialogue and intellectual exchange on governance, democracy, and constitutionalism in Zimbabwe.
Police are yet to issue an official comment on the matter.