Mnangagwa, Wicknell Chivhayo case — Chiredzi vendor acquitted after being arrested for allegedly saying “they don’t care about poor people”
A 32-year-old Chiredzi vendor, Tafadzwa Nelton Matanhuse, who allegedly made inciting remarks against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the late tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivhayo has been cleared of the charges by a Chiredzi magistrate.
Matanhuse allegedly said on camera that Mnangagwa and Chivhayo don’t care about poor people. He said this after vendors` stalls were destroyed in Chiredzi leaving hundreds of breadwinners with families to fend for with no source of income.
Magistrate Lynne Chinzou acquitted Matanhuse this morning after ruling out that the State had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charge of incitement to commit public violence.
He was represented by human rights lawyer Martin Mureri.
Matanhuse, who resides at House 1267, Njonjolinjo Road, Chiredzi, was arrested on June 23, 2026, after a video in which he criticised the demolition of vending stalls at Chiredzi Bus Terminus went viral on social media.
Magistrate Chinzou questioned the reliability of the social media video presented by the State, noting that it could have been edited to suit a particular narrative.
The magistrate further observed that the original phone used to record the video could not be traced, raising concerns about the evidence presented before the court.
Matanhuse’s acquittal brings to an end the legal proceedings arising from his arrest in June. *_-Masvingo Mirror_*
