The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) report a troubling continuation of targeting citizens for perceived dissent, highlighted by the recent arrest of 35 year-old Ezekiel Chiradza, a security guard in Beitbridge, who was charged with allegedly insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
His arrest by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on September 2 came after he accused the President of economic mismanagement and voiced his disapproval of the use of the Zimbabwean currency, the ZiG.
Chiradza reportedly recorded a video in which he criticised Mnangagwa while expressing support for Nelson Chamisa, his political rival in the previous year’s elections, and shared it on a WhatsApp group called Zim Politics.
This action led to charges against him under section 33(2)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for undermining the authority of or insulting the President.
His legal representation comes from Patrick Tererai, who is associated with ZLHR.
ZLHR emphasizes that such actions create a chilling effect on public discourse and highlight the need for protections for citizens exercising their right to free speech.
SOURCE : NEWSREPORTZIM.COM
