Case Against Youths Who Demonstrated Against Mnangagwa Dismissed, They Were Arrested By Soldiers Not Police

The eight Mthwakazi youths who protested against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s role in Gukurahundi, have been released after the magistrate dropped all charges against them. The magistrate dismissed the charges against the youths after noting that the accused’s constitutional right to appear before a court of law within 48 hours of arrest had been violated. The magistrate also ruled that the arrest was illegal as the youths had been arrested by members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and not the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). The youths were represented by Maqhawe Mpofu

The youths were arrested and allegedly assaulted on the 31st of December 2017 by the military after they protested against President Mnangagwa at the Zimbabwe Trade Fair where Mnangagwa was addressing a church conference. The protestors had placards that were inscribed with messages such as “MNANGAGWA YOU ARE A KILLER”, “WE ARE THE COCKROACHES THAT SURVIVED YOUR DDT”, “MNANGAGWA YOU ARE AN ANTI-CHRIST FOR THE GUKURAHUNDI GENOCIDE”. The youths were charged with undermining the authority of or insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the alternative charge of disorderly conduct in a public place.