Zimbabwe’s activist Moreblessing Ali laid to rest

Two years after the brutal murder of Zimbabwean opposition activist Moreblessing Ali, she was finally laid to rest in Chitungwiza on the outskirts of Harare. Ali, a member of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), was abducted in 2022 outside a bar in Nyatsime, a neighborhood of Chitungwiza. Her dismembered body was discovered two weeks later hidden in a well. Ali’s family delayed burying her until the release of Joe Sikhala, a senior CCC official and the family’s lawyer.

Sikhala, who had been detained for nearly two years for accusing supporters of the Zanu-PF party of Ali’s murder, was finally released in January with a suspended prison sentence. Despite resigning from the CCC, Sikhala stated that Ali’s death would serve as inspiration for Zimbabwe’s political future.

Ali’s family expressed relief at her burial, noting the hardships they endured. The family also criticized the lenient jail sentence given to Pius Jamba, one of Ali’s murderers. Ali’s sister, Mildred Ali, emphasized that not all the culprits had been held accountable.

Ali’s funeral was marked by clashes between different factions within the CCC, which has struggled to maintain unity following recent elections. Despite winning control of major cities and towns in the elections, the CCC has splintered into several groups after leader Nelson Chamisa’s departure from the party. With ZANU-PF regaining a two-thirds majority in parliament and limited opposition, concerns about Zimbabwe’s democracy are growing.