Nine women were arrested for allegedly booing First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa during her address at Watsomba Business Centre in Manicaland province on Wednesday, 10 April 2024.
The women had reportedly failed to get some freebies, which First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa was handing out as part of her charitable work.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) identified the nine women as 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 and Joyce Mashingaidza aged 29 years.
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The nine women were released on Friday 12 April 2024 on free bail by Mutare Magistrate Prisca Manhibi following the intervention of ZLHR’s Tatenda Sigauke and David Tandiri.
They will return to court on 30 April 2024.
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 and when Mnangagwa was still addressing people and before being dismissed.
