Man imprisoned for insulting Zimbabwean President during an argument over toilet

A 29-year-old Harare vendor has been released on bail after spending nearly two months in custody following a dispute over the condition of public toilets at Mbare bus terminus that allegedly escalated into remarks interpreted as insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.

The release was confirmed on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), which said the High Court ordered the vendor’s freedom after he had been detained since early December 2025.

According to ZLHR, Anashe Mundandi was arrested on 1 December 2025 at Mbare bus terminus following a verbal altercation with a City of Harare employee responsible for cleaning the public facilities.

“We have secured freedom for a vendor, who had been languishing in prison for more than two months after he was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers and charged with criminal nuisance following a verbal altercation over the filthy state of toilets in Mbare,” ZLHR said in a statement.

Prosecutors alleged that Mundandi shouted at Ody Chikombo, a municipal worker, accusing him of failing to carry out his duties properly and suggesting that others could do a better job.

The State further claimed that during the exchange, Mundandi made remarks that were interpreted as insulting the President. In court, prosecutors argued that Mundandi “acted unlawfully in a manner likely to interfere with the ordinary comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of the public.”

The case has drawn attention to Zimbabwe’s bail practices and prison congestion, with rights groups highlighting the length of time the vendor remained in custody before the High Court intervened. With bail now granted, the matter is expected to proceed through the courts.