President Mnangagwa Assassination Attempt: Chinese Investigators Join Hunt for Suspects

President Mnangagwa Assassination Attempt: Chinese Investigators Join Hunt for Suspects

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has roped in Chinese investigators to solve the June 23, 2018 grenade attack that targeted President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other high-ranking officials during a Zanu PF rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.

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Mnangagwa Assassination Attempt: Chinese Investigators Join Hunt

According to ZimLive, a team of detectives from Zimbabwe’s Criminal Investigations Department revisited the scene on November 27, accompanied by four Chinese investigators.

Their arrival caused a brief standoff with the City of Bulawayo’s security guards, who initially denied them access due to a lack of clearance from City Hall. However, the police team would not have any of it and barged their way through.

For nearly two hours, the Chinese team interviewed witnesses who were present during the explosion. A source told ZimLive:

“The four Chinese guys spent time interviewing people who were present on the day of the explosion. They also dutifully made drawings and took notes. They were there for about two hours.”

When reached for comment, National Police Spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi stated he was unaware of any Chinese investigators in the country.

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A Case that Lingers

The attack, which occurred just six months into Mnangagwa’s presidency, has remained unsolved. In June 2023, Mnangagwa reportedly instructed police to expedite the investigation.

Initial findings suggest the grenade, identified as an offensive fragmentation device made in the former Soviet Union, is still used by Zimbabwe’s military. Early reports speculated the weapon may have come from the police’s armoury, but it was later confirmed that the ZRP had disposed of its grenade stockpile in the late 1980s.

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Aftermath of the Bombing

The explosion struck just meters away from Mnangagwa and other VIPs as they exited the stadium, killing two aides of Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi. Mohadi sustained leg injuries and was treated in South Africa, along with several others, including Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri.

Days after the incident, Mnangagwa speculated in a BBC interview that loyalists of former President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, might be behind the attack. He assured the public that arrests were imminent.

In August 2018, while addressing newly elected Zanu PF parliamentary candidates, Mnangagwa claimed authorities had identified those responsible, saying:

“We now have the knowledge on who did it. We want the current electoral processes to pass then we will deal with that matter.”

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