Zimbabwean journalist Kenneth Nyangani, who wrote a story in the privately-owned NewsDay newspaper that First Lady Grace Mugabe donated underwear and an assortment of goods in Manicaland province at the weekend and was picked up by the police on Monday, is facing criminal nuisance charges under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
According to attorney Passmore Nyakureba of Maunga, Maanda and Associates, who is also a member of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Nyangani is denying charges of violating Chapter 9:23 Section 46 (2) (v) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Nyakurebwa told VOA Studio 7 that Nyangani stands by his story “100 percent”.
NewsDay reported at the weekend that a member of President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party, Esau Mupfumi, donated some used underwear and other goods to several people in the region where he allegedly claimed that they were sourced from the first lady.
Indications are that Mupfumi made a report to the police after the story appeared in the newspaper, claiming that the story was misleading as the items donated by Mrs. Mugabe were not second-hand clothes.
Mupfumi claimed that some of the recipients of the underwear and other items reported the matter to the police on behalf of the first lady.
Nyakurebwa