Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
Former anti-Government activist, Professor Talent Rusere, who was recently jailed for nine months after being convicted on charges of inciting violence in the country, has apologised to the State and called for unity.
Rusere was arrested on December 23, 2024, at Plumtree Border Post after being deported from Botswana and was jailed for nine months. He was released on September 1, 2025.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Thursday, Rusere said he was speaking not as a victim of political persecution, but as a committed patriot and advocate for social justice.
He urged Zimbabweans to put aside past conflicts and work together for national development, stressing that politics should serve the people, not individual interests or external influences.
“After having been incarcerated for nine months, I believe that the nation, our people, the foreign community would want to hear more about my incarceration, how I feel and perhaps the way forward or what I intend to do now that I am freed.
“It is indeed a great pleasure having this opportunity to address the nation and the foreign community not as a victim of political persecution but a healthy, strong and determined patriot and custodian of social justice and the African liberation struggle objectives,” he said.
“In that regard, I refuse to subject my vision or incorporate my activism to the circumstances of my stay in prison. Let’s forget our past and unite our people for a way forward. Each time we gather to address the press as political players, we must bear witness to the enduring strength of our unity and the zeal to develop our beloved country.”
“Our differences must bring us together, and by so doing, we affirm the promises of the liberation struggle. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colour of our skin or the tenets of our faith or our political affiliations.
“What makes us exceptional — what makes us Zimbabweans —is our allegiance to the liberation struggle objectives articulated more than four decades ago: The situation in our country depicts that we forget about the past and find each other. Fellow Zimbabweans, let’s bury the past. Unity of common purpose and interest must guide our politics to foster stability, enhance national development prospects, and strengthen governance. We fight to diminish conflict and promote reconciliation if Zimbabwe should ever be better than it is today.”
Rusere said the country’s progress depends on collective action, economic empowerment and the responsible exercise of political freedoms gained through the liberation struggle.
He also encouraged the youth to rise above partisan politics, urging them to focus on building the nation for future generations.
He called on media houses to avoid spreading rhetoric that fuels division and to promote constructive dialogue instead.
Rusere said all Zimbabweans should participate in shaping the country’s future, from economic development to social progress.
