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Harare, Zimbabwe – In a surprising turn of events, charges against nine women accused of booing Zimbabwe’s First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa have been dropped, according to local media reports. The women, whose ages range from 19 to 49, were initially arrested following an incident at a charity event in Manicaland province.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba stated that the decision was made on the instructions of the First Lady herself. He explained that both Mrs. Mnangagwa and the Police Commissioner General concurred that the police had overreacted to the situation. “Both the First Lady and Police Commissioner General agreed the officers on the ground overreacted,” Mr. Charamba was quoted as saying.
The incident occurred last Wednesday during a charity event where the First Lady was distributing food and clothing. The women allegedly began booing Mrs. Mnangagwa during her closing remarks, expressing their discontent after missing out on the handouts.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR), who represented the women in court, shared that the group was charged with disorderly conduct for “unlawful, abusive, and insulting” behavior towards the First Lady. However, the women contested the charges, arguing they were arrested merely for leaving the event while Mrs. Mnangagwa was still speaking.
The dismissal of these charges has brought relief to the accused and highlighted concerns about freedom of expression in Zimbabwe. The ZHLR has praised the decision to drop the charges, viewing it as a step towards upholding the rights of citizens to express their grievances, albeit in a respectful manner.
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