Vendor languishes in prison for 57 days, denied bail for insulting Mnangagwa during Mbare toilet argument
A 29-year-old Harare vendor spent nearly two months behind bars after a heated argument over filthy public toilets at Mbare bus terminus allegedly escalated into remarks deemed insulting to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The case, which drew attention to bail practices and prison congestion, only came to an end in late January 2026 when the High Court intervened and ordered his release on bail.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) confirmed the development on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, revealing that the vendor had been detained since early December 2025 following his arrest by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers.
ZLHR explained that Anashe Mundandi was arrested on 1 December 2025 at Mbare bus terminus after a verbal exchange with a City of Harare employee responsible for cleaning public toilets.
“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 perform his duties properly and suggesting others could do a better job. The State further claimed that during the argument, Mundandi made comments that were interpreted as insulting the President.
Prosecutors told the court that Mundandi “acted unlawfully in a manner likely to interfere with the ordinary comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of the public.” *_-iHarare_*
