Kandishaya dismisses abduction claims as false, accuses union of misinformation
By Fanuel Chinowaita
Harare | 11 November 2025 – THE Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) has demanded the immediate release of two Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) student leaders, Lindon and Malvin, who were allegedly abducted while campaigning in a Students Representative Council (SRC) election.
In a statement issued yesterday, Zinasu condemned what it described as “a brazen act of banditry” and accused suspected state agents of targeting students engaged in campus politics.
“The two student leaders were snatched away in front of dozens of witnesses in a brazen act of banditry that has instilled fear and exposed the modus operandi of a rogue regime scared of open contestation of ideas,” the union said.
Zinasu blamed elements within the ruling Zanu PF Youth League for the alleged abductions, naming political commissar Taurai Kandishaya as being involved. The union accused Kandishaya of having a “sordid history” of threatening citizens who hold opposing political views.
“An SRC election is supposed to give young people a glimpse into leadership, but rogue elements in power are using state resources to silence dissenting voices,” Zinasu said.
The student body claimed the latest abductions mirror a broader pattern of repression, drawing parallels with the unresolved disappearance of pro-democracy activist Itai Dzamara in 2015. Zinasu also accused CUT authorities of colluding with political actors to intimidate students, saying the university “portrays itself as neutral while working with the regime behind the scenes.”
Declaring that the situation had reached a “boiling point,” Zinasu president Emmanuel Sitima vowed that the union would continue to pressure authorities until the missing students are found.
“We have drawn a line in the sand and will respond with the language they understand the most until our comrades are safely returned,” Sitima said. “Zimbabwe is not for them, but for all of us.”
Responding to the allegations in a Facebook post, Kandishaya dismissed the claims as “false and politically motivated,” accusing the student union of attempting to mislead the public for sympathy.
“I recently came across an online news article claiming that two Chinhoyi University students were abducted and beaten, and I’m shocked to see that Sitima is alleging my involvement,” Kandishaya wrote. “It’s clear that the opposition is resorting to spreading false information, as they have done in the past when faced with unfavorable election outcomes, in an attempt to garner sympathy.”
Kandishaya said one of the alleged victims, Lindon Zanga, was known to him personally and had not been harmed.
“For the record, Lindon Zanga is my boy (little brother). I met him on Sunday when I addressed students at CUT, and we had a pleasant, non-political conversation, even sharing a meal together at Orangegrove,” he said. “Stop dragging the young man’s name through the mud; don’t expose him to unnecessary prosecution for lying.”
He further accused Zinasu of neglecting its members and misusing union funds.
“Now I see why the boys are crying against ill treatment from the current Zinasu leadership. You don’t care about their welfare; you’re starving them of funding that was allocated to your union,” Kandishaya wrote, adding that he had even assisted Zanga financially “as a young brother.”
Zinasu maintained that it stood by its position and insisted that the matter underscored “growing insecurity among those in power.”
By the time of publication, CUT officials and law enforcement authorities had not issued any official statements regarding the alleged abductions.