By Leonnel Mhuka
On Wednesday last week, nine women who were arrested for allegedly booing Auxillia Mnangagwa during her address at Watsomba Business Centre have been released on bail. The women, represented by ZLHR Lawyers, denied the charges of disorderly conduct and claim they were targeted during a dragnet arrest.
The incident shows the continuous delicate balance between citizens’ right to freely express their opinions and the government’s response to perceived acts of disrespect or disruption. The prosecution of individuals for expressing dissenting views can create a chilling effect on freedom of expression and discourage open dialogue and criticism of those in power.
Below is the Zimbabwe Lawayers For Human Rights statement after securing the release of these women:
We rescued these 9 women from detention after they were arrested&charged for allegedly booing First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa during her address at Watsomba Business Centre where they reportedly failed to access some freebies, which she was doling out as part of her charitable work
The 9 women namely Nester Chatiwana aged 41 years, Panashe Machekanzondo aged 19 years, Winnet Sithole aged 19 years, Maria Choto aged 49 years, Esnath Choto aged 33 years, Ellen Rujuwa aged 28 years, Faith Chidhakwa aged 30 years, Patience Matasva aged 35 years & Joyce
Mashingaidza aged 29 years, were arrested by Police Zimbabwe on Wednesday at Watsomba Business Centre in Manicaland province & detained at Mutare Central Police Station, before being charged with disorderly conduct in a public place as defined in section 41(b) of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
In court, prosecutors claimed that the 9 women, who reside in various villages located near Watsomba Business Centre stood up & disrupted Mnangagwa’s delivery of her speech by booing her as a way of showing their disgruntlement for not receiving some groceries & clothes, which she was doling out to people. Prosecutors charged that the women, who were seated on the ground stood up and started booing the First Lady while she was making her closing remarks during her address intending to disrupt her speech & show
disgruntlement that they had not received anything from her.
The behaviour allegedly exhibited by Chatiwana, Machekanzondo, Sithole, Choto, Choto, Rujuwa, Chidhakwa, Matasva and Mashingaidza, prosecutors said, was unlawful, abusive & insulting to Mnangagwa.
The 9 women, who were represented by Tatenda Sigauke & David Tandiri of ZLHR Lawyers, were released on Friday on free bail by Mutare Magistrate Prisca Manhibi, & will return to court on 30 April. In their defence, Chatiwana, Machekanzondo, Sithole, Choto, Choto, Rujuwa, Chidhakwa, Matasva and Mashingaidza, who deny the charges, argued that they were just targeted during a dragnet arrest after they opted to leave the venue early & during the time when Mnangagwa was still addressing people & before being dismissed.
The alleged booing of Mnangagwa is reminiscent of the heckling of former First Lady Grace Mugabe, who was jeered by some ruling ZANU PF political party youth supporters in November 2017 at White City stadium in Bulawayo, who were then prosecuted for insulting & undermining the late former president Robert Mugabe’s wife.
The heckling of the former First Lady irked his husband, who fingered President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who at the time served as his Vice President, for instigating the jeering of his wife. The ZANU PF political party youths, who were represented by ZLHR, were later set free after prosecutors
withdrew charges of insulting or undermining the former First Lady.
