One of our members today [9th November 2025] reported that after she appeared on a Live Chat on Facebook with Shepheard Yuda discussing the arrest in SA of Job Sikhala) that she recieved threats from Zanu PF Official and subsequently other unwarranted threats [see her post link here https://x.com/chiombach1343/ ]
Since we have written about Zanu PF UK & Europe before, {see article from August 2024 HERE} we decided to ask AI in the guise of Twitter/X's GROK facility the following question:
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""The Zimbabwe diaspora in the United Kingdom are having a difficult time proving the crimes of the Zanu PF in Zimbabwe AND the activities of the regimes members in the UK and Europe. Last year we created an article about the activities in the UK of these "Spies" What additional evidence are you able to find on X and elsewhere to further establish this tactic by the regime to intimidate, or even assault those who have fled the regime in the past? [SEE our article https://take2zimbabwe.org/diaspora/zanu-pf-spies-in-uk ] "" |
GROK replied thus [https://x.com/i/grok/share/ ] and in full below
Additional Evidence of Zanu PF and CIO Intimidation Tactics Against Zimbabwean Diaspora in the UK and EuropeBuilding on the concerns raised in your 2024 article about Zanu PF's infiltration efforts in the UK—such as their March 2024 meeting focused on "partnerships" with diaspora organizations, unity behind Mnangagwa, and potential CIO involvement—recent searches on X (formerly Twitter) and the web reveal further instances of surveillance, threats, and operational presence by regime-linked actors. These build a pattern of transnational repression, where Zanu PF and its Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) extend intimidation beyond Zimbabwe's borders to silence critics, track activists, and discourage remittances or activism from exiles.Evidence from 2024–2025 primarily involves:
- Direct surveillance by CIO agents in the UK: Confirmed operatives tracking dissidents.
- Targeted inquiries and implied threats: Calls from regime proxies probing locations of high-profile exiles.
- Propaganda and verbal intimidation via UK-based Zanu PF figures: Public threats against diaspora critics.
- Broader warnings from human rights groups: Reports of intensified scrutiny and "strong-arming" of diaspora communities.
While no new physical assaults in the UK/Europe were documented in the searches (unlike internal Zimbabwean cases of abductions and torture), the tactics emphasize psychological pressure, surveillance, and infiltration—aligning with your article's description of "spying missions" and CIO "thugs." Below, I outline key findings, grouped by source type, with specific incidents.Key Incidents from X (Posts from 2024–2025)X searches (semantic and keyword) surfaced 30+ relevant posts, with deeper thread analysis revealing community fears of reprisals. Here's a table of the most substantive examples:
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Date |
Poster & Context |
Details of Intimidation/Assault Tactic |
Relevance to Diaspora |
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Dec 18, 2024 |
@MJairosi (Majaira Jairosi, researcher & activist) @MJairosi |
Posted photos of CIO agent Chamunorwa Chinorwiwa (aka Chamunorwa Victor Chinorwiwa) outside a UK building (likely a dissident hub) and on a boat in Zimbabwe. Described him "tracking dissidents" in the UK before his Oct 2024 arrest in Harare for extortion (US$2,000 blackmail of a Chinese miner, alongside other CIO/presidential guards). Thread replies express diaspora vulnerability, e.g., "CIOs are not powerful outside Zimbabwe" but warn of abductions/torture risks if exiles return. |
Direct evidence of CIO physical surveillance in UK targeting "honest men & women" sending remittances but seeking regime change. Confirms CIO's extraterritorial ops, echoing your article's CIO "thug" concerns. |
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Aug 6, 2024 |
@daddyhope (Hopewell Chin’ono, journalist & critic) @daddyhope |
While in London (Europe), received a WhatsApp call/text from Passion Java (Zanu PF-linked prophet & Mnangagwa "runner"). Java asked Chin’ono's location (mistakenly assuming Johannesburg) and return date to Harare (told him September). Call ended abruptly; Chin’ono publicized it on security team advice, noting "many attempts on people’s lives... at home and abroad." Thread tags UN/Amnesty, calls Java a "US-based ZANU PF operative." Replies urge safety, e.g., "Emerson is a terrorist." |
Implied threat via proxy inquiry into an exile's movements—classic intimidation to deter activism. Highlights Europe as an extension of regime reach. |
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Dec 29, 2024 |
@hon_mugari (Elvis Mugari, PR expert & pan-Africanist) @hon_mugari |
Accused UK-based Zanu PF propagandist Nick Mangwana (former Zanu PF UK chairman, per your article) and associates of "threatening and insulting Zimbabweans" by labeling critics "Rhodesia glorifiers or Nazi sympathizers." Noted Mangwana's British passport and family in Europe/America, urging hypocrisy check. |
Verbal/public intimidation via diaspora propaganda networks, pressuring exiles to self-censor. Ties to your named figures like Mangwana. |
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Aug 29, 2025 |
@daddyhope (Hopewell Chin’ono) |
Explained CIO infiltration tactics: Officers embedded in UK/Europe law firms, hospitals, newsrooms, and even opposition groups. Cited historical example of a CIO agent rising to CEO of a private firm. Warned diaspora of payroll recruits from college days. |
Broader tactic insight: Not just overt spying, but long-term embedding to monitor/assault critics indirectly. |
These posts (from 2024–2025) show rising awareness, with 200K+ views collectively, amplifying fears among the ~250,000 Zimbabwean diaspora in the UK.Evidence from Web Sources (News & NGO Reports, 2024–2025)Web searches yielded 20+ results, focusing on human rights reports and diaspora alerts. Key additions:
- May 30, 2025 – Take2Zimbabwe Article: "Zanu PF Intimidation UK" take2zimbabwe.com: Directly addresses your query, responding to Zanu PF UK claims of "ownership" over diaspora. Details intensified scrutiny post-2023 elections, including threats to exiles attending UK protests (e.g., Aug 2024 Zimbabwe Embassy demo you mentioned). Warns of CIO "subversive intent" via proxies, urging FCDO/Home Office action. Links to your original piece, calling for Starmer intervention.
- Jul 5, 2025 – Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO): "Diaspora Threatened - AGAIN" zhro.org.uk: Reports Zanu PF "mafia" strong-arming UK-based exiles via embassy channels. Cites 2024–2025 cases of "lunatic demands" for loyalty oaths from remitters, with threats of family harassment in Zimbabwe. References CIO cells in London/Ireland, tying to your named attendees (e.g., Zambuko family). Calls for UK bans on Zanu PF events.
- ZHRO Human Rights UK Page (Ongoing, Updated 2025) zhro.org.uk: Broader alert on regime "intensified scrutiny" of UK diaspora, including 2024 surveillance of activists like Jameson Timba's supporters. Notes parallels to internal repression (160+ arrests in 2024 per HRW hrw.org), with Europe as a "safe haven" under threat.
- Human Rights Watch World Report 2025 hrw.org: Documents Zanu PF's "impunity for violence, intimidation, harassment" extending to exiles, with 2024 examples of opposition MPs (e.g., Joanah Mamombe) facing abroad threats after abductions/torture at home. No UK-specific assaults, but notes weaponized justice against diaspora returnees.
- Freedom House Transnational Repression Report (UK, 2025) freedomhouse.org: General UK context shows 11 physical incidents (2014–2024) by regimes like China/Iran using proxies for spying/stabbings. Zimbabwe not named, but parallels CIO tactics (e.g., 2024 arrests of surveillance contractors). Recommends UK accountability for diaspora protection.
Other reports (e.g., US State Dept 2023, Brookings 2025 brookings.edu) focus on internal abuses but note diaspora remittances as a leverage point for intimidation.Analysis: Establishing the TacticThis evidence substantiates a deliberate Zanu PF/CIO strategy:
- Surveillance & Tracking: Chinorwiwa's UK photos prove on-ground ops; aligns with your article's "infiltration" via meetings.
- Proxy Threats: Java's call and Mangwana's rhetoric create fear without direct assault, discouraging activism (e.g., protests).
- Scale: Targets high-profile exiles (Chin’ono) and everyday remitters, per ZHRO/Take2.
- Evolution from 2024: Post your article, tactics shifted to subtler "scrutiny" amid UK sanctions awareness, but risks persist (e.g., family reprisals).
Recommendations: Share these with FCDO/Home Office (as your article did); monitor Zanu PF UK events; support ZHRO petitions. If needed, I can analyze specific profiles (e.g., Mangwana's X activity) or browse more pages. Stay vigilant—diaspora voices are key to accountability.