Bobi Wine slams arrest of Tendai Biti as “cowardly attack” on democracy in Zimbabwe

Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has condemned the arrest of Zimbabwean politician Tendai Biti, describing it as a “cowardly attack” on citizens and democratic freedoms.

In a statement issued on Monday, Kyagulanyi, who leads the National Unity Platform (NUP), said Biti’s detention reflects a broader pattern of repression against dissenting voices across Africa.

“Biti’s arrest is a cowardly attack on all citizens of Zimbabwe by a regime that cannot sustain open debate about their future without resorting to brute force,” he said.

He called for the “immediate, unconditional release” of Biti and others detained alongside him.

Kyagulanyi said Biti had recently expressed solidarity with Ugandan activists following what he described as a crackdown after the country’s January 2026 elections under President Yoweri Museveni, drawing parallels between the political climates of the two countries.

Biti, a former finance minister and convener of the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF), was arrested on March 21 in Mutare together with the organisation’s national organiser, Morgan Ncube, and others.

He is accused of holding a public meeting without notifying police.

His detention comes amid growing tensions over proposed constitutional amendments that could extend the rule of President Emmerson Mnangagwa beyond his current term, which is set to end in 2028.

The proposed changes would extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, delay elections to 2030, and allow the president to be elected by Parliament rather than through a popular vote.

In recent months, police have reportedly banned opposition gatherings and arrested activists protesting against the proposed reforms.

Kyagulanyi said the developments in Zimbabwe mirror tactics used elsewhere on the continent to suppress political opposition.

“It is disturbing to see this script, which Ugandans are already familiar with, being deployed in Zimbabwe as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) also condemned Biti’s arrest, calling it an act of “state brutality” and urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene diplomatically.

The DA warned that Zimbabwe’s political situation could have wider regional implications, including increased migration and instability, and called on South African authorities to uphold a foreign policy grounded in human rights and constitutionalism.

“We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Ronald Lamola to condemn Tendai Biti’s arrest and urgently engage with Zimbabwean authorities through diplomatic channels to reconsider this draconian legislative proposal,” the DA stated.

“South Africa cannot continue to prop up its fraternity of leaders who continue to trample on democracy and the rights of citizens across the Southern African region.

“This recent act of state oppression follows a worrying trend seen in countries such as Uganda and Tanzania which have arrested opposition leaders on trumped up charges of treason to silence opposing voices and sideline democracy.”