Munyaradzi Shoko

Munyaradzi Shoko is the leader of the pressure group Children of Zimbabwe War Veterans Association. In 2018, Shoko was arrested and charged for posting a statement on Facebook that Emmerson Mnangagwa's name was "generally associated with evil and devilish deeds."

Arrest

Shoko was arrested for allegedly insulting Emmerson Mnangagwa in a Facebook post. He posted statements on Facebook saying Mnangagwa's name was "generally associated with evil and devilish deeds.

On 21 August 2018, Munyaradzi Shoko was detained at Harare central police station and charged with criminal nuisance.

Shoko was also charged with public violence for allegedly taking part in protests by opposition supporters after July 30, 2018, elections. The police dropped the criminal nuisance and public violence charges against Shoko. ^[1]

Police alleged that Shoko posted some statements on Facebook between March and May 2018 criticising Mnangagwa and which read:

“At one time he beat up his own biological mother, he was later suspected for killing his own family head-boy. He was pinpointed for being the brains behind Ndebele 1980s scum. His name is generally associated with evil and devilish deeds. Today he is pleading for ur vote. WHAT A SHAME!!!!!!!!.”

On the second charge, ZRP officers alleged that Shoko engaged in acts of violence in Harare’s Central Business District on Wednesday 01 August 2018 together with some MDC Alliance party supporters during a demonstration held in the capital city to protest against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s management of the harmonised elections held on Monday 30 July 2018, which reportedly resulted in the destruction of property and left six people dead after they were shot by some members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Shoko was also charged with assault as defined in section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 for allegedly assaulting Energy Mutodi, a ZANU PF member on 25 August 2017 at Holiday Inn Hotel in Harare.^[2]