Mnangagwa vows jail over planned protests

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has branded his opponents little boys and further threatened them with imprisonment if they proceed with planned protests over his controversial poll victory last month.

Mnangagwa made the threats in Buhera Thursday while officially commissioning the Max Mind Sabi Star Lithium Floatation Plant in the wake of fierce opposition over what opponents insist were stolen elections.

The Zimbabwe strongman was declared winner of the August 23 election with a 52,6 majority vote in poll results that were vehemently disputed by his main challenger Nelson Chamisa of CCC, who polled 44 percent.

Aggrieved by the poll outcome, CCC has urged a 30-day protest, coupled with demands for re-run of a poll that has been condemned by local and international observer missions.

Mnangagwa accused opponents of hate speech and threatened them with jail.

"We are going forward with our development programme; we will not stop our development programmes because of some little boys," Mnangagwa said.

"I warn anybody who may want to bring any chaos in this country, we are ready.

"Whoever shall preach hate speech will be responsible for their hate speech. Our prisons are not full."

CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi dismissed Mnangagwa's deririve statement, saying, "He forgets that when they removed Ian Smith he and the majority of the freedom fighters were mere little boys."

Smith was the last in the line of Zimbabwe's white colonial rulers.