Yesterday marked the release of opposition senator Jameson Timba and 34 other activists after 161 days in jail. They were arrested on 16 June while commemorating the Day of the African Child in Avondale, Harare. This event has shown how pretrial detention is used in Zimbabwe as a tool for political control.

The Day of the African Child is celebrated every year on 16 June. It remembers the Soweto Uprising in South Africa in 1976, when students protested against apartheid education and the forced use of Afrikaans, seen as a language of oppression, in schools.

Timba and 78 others were arrested at his home in Harare in August before a Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit. Over 160 people, including activists and civil society members, were arrested during that time. This was an attempt by the government to stop protests against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule, which has been seen as illegitimate and marked by failure.

Last year, SADC rejected Mnangagwa and Zanu PF’s re-election. Some of those arrested during this period were tortured and required hospital treatment.

Timba and others were convicted last week for holding an illegal gathering. They were given a two-year sentence, which was suspended. However, the 161 days they spent in jail, denied bail and subjected to delays, highlight how pretrial detention is used as punishment.

For 44 years, pretrial detention has been misused in Zimbabwe, just as it was during colonial times. Arbitrary arrests and detention have become normal under Zanu PF, the party that fought for independence but has not delivered freedom.

In Zimbabwe, opposition leaders, activists, and critics are often arrested without evidence or due process. They are kept in jail for long periods before trial or sentencing. Some are even abducted, tortured, or killed without accountability.

During these long periods of detention, prisoners face inhumane conditions. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, hunger, and lack of medical care are common. These conditions violate their basic rights and cause lasting harm to their physical and mental health.

Zimbabwe’s justice system does not fully respect the right to a fair and timely trial. Human rights defenders and critics of the government are targeted, denied bail, and held in custody for 30 to 60 days or more. This is against the country’s constitution.

Being held in pretrial detention can also affect how a judge sees the accused, which can lead to unfair outcomes in court. Detention has a deep emotional, mental, and physical toll on individuals, making it harder for them to defend themselves during trial.

This misuse of pretrial detention undermines trust in the justice system. It silences opposition voices and stifles dissent, helping to maintain authoritarian control in Zimbabwe.

The misuse of detention has also led to serious human rights abuses, including torture and ill-treatment. Cases like Timba’s show how Zimbabweans live under a harsh dictatorship.

Opposition leader Job Sikhala’s case is another example. He was held in arbitrary detention for 595 days before his release earlier this year. From 1980 to now, this has been the reality in Zimbabwe—a nation where repression and suffering have become the norm.

Pretrial detention in Zimbabwe is not just about enforcing the law. It has become a weapon to crush dissent and sustain authoritarian rule. Cases like Timba’s reveal a system that has little respect for human rights or justice. Instead of serving the people, it has become a tool of control, ensuring that those in power remain unchallenged.

The fight for true freedom in Zimbabwe continues.