02/11/2026
Did you know that the family and friends of this woman, Dadirai Chipiro, have lived for years without knowing who killed their loved one? Years of injustice, unanswered questions and a painful absence of accountability.
Dadirai was neither a politician nor an activist. She was a 45-year-old preschool teacher and the wife of opposition official Patson Chipiro, who served as Mhondoro District Chairperson.
On 7 June 2008, seven unknown men driving three white unmarked pickup trucks went to the Chipiro home in Mhondoro, looking for her husband. When they failed to find him, they left, only to return about an hour later. Witnesses reported that the men attacked Dadirai, punching and kicking her before using various objects to inflict further injuries. They chopped off one of her hands with a machete and cut off both her feet. They then dragged her unconscious body into the house, locked the door and threw a petrol bomb through the window.
Her body was so severely damaged and burnt that she could not be properly placed in a coffin. Her arm had been burnt rigid, and mourners were denied the opportunity to view her body.
No one was ever prosecuted. No justice has been served.
Neither the Mnangagwa faction nor the Chiwenga faction has found it wise or prudent to name the perpetrators of this injustice. Neither has offered her family the truth they deserve. Years have passed, yet the questions remain unanswered. This is why some of us strongly believe that there is no better devil in ZANU PF. There can be no meaningful change without truth, justice and accountability.
Credit:Ngoni Danzwa