By Staff Reporter
THE National Prosecuting Authority has withdrawn charges against Chivhu Ward 12 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillor Ishmael Maukazuva, who was arrested Wednesday for allegedly insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who represented him, said Maukazuva was facing charges under the Data Protection Act for sharing a TikTok video in a residents’ WhatsApp group.
The footage allegedly features an unknown woman criticising Mnangagwa’s economic policies and making disparaging comments including accusing him of bringing “misfortunes” among Zimbabweans and urging him to relinquish power to a “young person”.
“On Friday 14 March 2025, prosecutors from the NPA withdrew charges against Councillor Maukazuva on the basis that they had not first obtained a certificate to prosecute from the Prosecutor-General, authorising them to pursue legal action against the opposition political party councillor.
“According to prosecutors, Councillor Maukazuva allegedly undermined authority of or insulted President Mnangagwa, when he allegedly circulated a Tiktok video clip containing some derogatory and vulgar language reportedly uttered by an unidentified woman,” ZLHR said in a statement.
ZLHR also said the prosecutors claimed that Maukazuva’s conduct of allegedly forwarding the Tiktok video clip was unlawful.
