Nine villagers from Watsomba in Manicaland allegedly disrupted an event by booing the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa. They were arrested but then granted free bail on Friday by Mutare Magistrate Prisca Manhibi. They are scheduled to return to court on April 30.

During a public address at Watsomba Business Centre on Wednesday, the nine women were accused of expressing their dissatisfaction with the First Lady by booing her, an act deemed as disorderly conduct under section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), in a statement, said, “We rescued these nine women from detention after they were arrested and charged for allegedly booing First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa during her address… where they reportedly failed to access some freebies, which she was giving out as part of her charitable work.”