Harare Man Arrested for Insulting President Mnangagwa
A man in Harare has been arrested and charged with insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Dumisani Dangirwa, 43, was apprehended after allegedly shouting that the Zanu PF leader was a failure and would lose the elections expected in August this year.
Dangirwa appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi on Thursday and was remanded in custody pending a bail application. According to prosecutors, on April 7, Dangirwa was at the corner of Bank Street and Cameroon Street when a police officer overheard him shouting insults at President Mnangagwa, who he accused of failing to run the country.
When the police officer identified himself and ordered Dangirwa to stop insulting the President, Dangirwa allegedly became violent and slapped him. The court heard that Dangirwa continued pursuing the police officer, hurling obscenities and accusing him of being a supporter of Mnangagwa.
The incident highlights the government’s crackdown on dissent and criticism of the ruling party. Critics of the regime say that the government is using laws against insulting the President and undermining state authority to stifle free speech and suppress political opposition.
This is not the first time that Zimbabwean authorities have arrested individuals for insulting President Mnangagwa. In January 2019, a man was arrested and charged with undermining the authority of the President after allegedly calling Mnangagwa a “dummy” on social media.
Human rights activists have condemned the arrest and detention of Dangirwa, saying that it is a violation of his right to freedom of expression. They have called on the government to respect the rights of citizens to express their opinions and to refrain from using the law to silence dissent.
Source -MasimbaNews ✍🏿
