HARARE – A man was fined for dressing his dog in a Zanu PF T-Shirt emblazoned with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s image.
Robson Chininga of Mudhindo in Guruve, Mashonaland Central, was charged by police with “disorderly conduct and breach of peace in a public place” and fined $40, the NewsDay reported on Saturday.
The incident reportedly happened sometime last week when Chininga was confronted by Zanu PF supporters as he walked his dog at Mudhindo Growth Point.
A police spokesman told the newspaper: “We fined Chininga after angry Zanu PF supporters brought him to our base. We charged him with disorderly conduct and he paid an admission of guilt fine of $40.”
Dissent has increased across Zimbabwe in response to a deepening economic crisis. Zimbabweans, battling unemployment, food shortages and runaway inflation which has shrivelled salaries say Mnangagwa has not kept his promise to revive the economy after toppling former president Robert Mugabe in a military coup in 2017.
Criticism of Mnangagwa has led to dozens of arrests. The Constitutional Court has found a law under which many were charged for “undermining the authority of the president” to be unconstitutional, and as a result pro-regime police have become even more creative, using public order laws to charge Mnangagwa’s critics. They say criticism of the Zanu PF leader can lead to public clashes.
