Family of missing Zambian businesswoman appeals for help in Zimbabwe

Chronicle Writer

The family of Mutinta Anyanwu, a prominent real estate businesswoman from Lusaka, Zambia, is desperately seeking assistance in their search for her after learning that she may have gone into hiding in Zimbabwe.

In a heartfelt plea, they have reached out to the media in Zimbabwe to help publicize her disappearance, which has left them deeply concerned for her safety.

A close relative, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed, “Mutinta has been missing for over a month now. We have tried everything to locate her, but our efforts have drawn a blank. Even the Zambian police have not come to our aid.” The relative explained that the situation escalated after Anyanwu, a staunch supporter of the Patriotic Front, began facing pressure from the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).

“She used to hire out some of her properties for party rallies, which she would sometimes attend. But when the UPND approached her wanting to rent her building for an event, it created tension because she had already scheduled other events for that day,” the relative elaborated. “After that incident, they accused her of sabotaging the current government.”

The relative recounted how, following this confrontation, Anyanwu faced harassment at her business premises. “She was attacked multiple times and whenever she tried to report the incidents, she would end up being detained for no reason at all,” they stated, emphasizing the growing danger she faced.

In a particularly alarming incident, the relative shared that one morning, after preparing to head out, Anyanwu discovered her car had been tampered with. “After driving just a kilometer, we noticed something was off with the car. Upon inspection, we found that all the tires had been tampered with, and the wheel nuts were removed,” they said, expressing their fear that these actions were intended to intimidate her.

Since that unsettling incident, Anyanwu has vanished, prompting her family to fear for her well-being. “We are really worried about her safety and whereabouts. The police have refused to entertain our missing person’s report, even insinuating that they had received information about her supposedly using her buildings for illegal political meetings,” the relative lamented.

Now, with the urgency to find her growing, someone has suggested that she might have crossed into Zimbabwe, leading her family to seek the help of the Zimbabwean media in their search for Mutinta Anyanwu. As their pleas for assistance echo, her loved ones remain hopeful for her safe return.