HARARE – Charges against nine women arrested for booing first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa have been withdrawn on her instructions, the presidency said on Monday.
The women were accused of booing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wife at Watsomba business centre in Manicaland on April 10 after failing to get freebies doled out at a charity event including groceries and clothes.
They were charged with disorderly conduct as prosecutors alleged in court that their conduct was “unlawful, abusive and insulting” to the Zanu PF leader’s wife.
Nester Chatiwana, 41, Panashe Machekanzondo, 19, Winnet Sithole, 19, Maria Choto, 49, Esnath Choto, 33, Ellen Rujuwa, 28, Faith Chidhakwa, 30, Patience Matasva, 35, and Joyce Mashingaidza, 29, denied the charges.
The women were “just targeted during a dragnet arrest after they opted to leave the venue early during the time when Mrs Mnangagwa was still addressing people and before being dismissed,” their legal team from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said.
A court in Mutare had remanded them out of custody to April 30.
Presidency spokesman George Charamba, writing on X on Monday, said the charges would not be pursued.
“Both the first lady and police commissioner general agreed the officers on the ground overreacted. On the instructions of the first lady, all charges were withdrawn yesterday (Sunday),” Charamba said.
Charamba faced a torrid time from Zimbabweans querying why police took instructions from the president’s wife.
Charamba said she did so “as something called a complainant at law”, which appeared to suggest the arrests were made on her instructions.
“Clever people know that for a case to be withdrawn, the complainant must withdraw charges,” Charamba added.
Famed for her short temper and given to excessive control, President Mnangagwa’s wife has a fierce tongue which terrifies those working for her and her husband, including ministers.
With sirens blaring, her blue light motorcade criss-crosses the country every week as she promotes her charity. She demands coverage of the events on state television and state newspapers, with pre-approved pictures. Two former state media editors at The Herald and ZBC claimed they were fired for going against her instructions.
