Mnangagwa says rule of law applies to all

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday that the rule of law in Zimbabwe equally applied to every citizen, including foreign-funded organisations operating in the country.

Responding to questions on the government's alleged crackdown on the opposition, Mnangagwa, who is in Japan attending the seventh edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7), told the media that there were no "double standards" when it came to the application of the rule of law, state news agency New Ziana reported.

There has been an outcry by the main opposition MDC and some non-governmental organisations over bans by the police and the courts on planned anti-government protests starting mid-August for security reasons.

Some opposition supporters still took to the streets and clashed with the police, resulting in several arrests being made.

"There is not an incident where the rule of law has been breached, not even one incident. We apply the rule of law. Those who commit crime, the law must apply," Mnangagwa said.

He said observance of the rule of law was not meant to please outsiders but was for the good of Zimbabweans.

"Zimbabwe is a unitary state and our laws apply to every citizen, whether you are in the opposition or are in government or you do not belong to any political party at all, if you commit murder you get arrested; corruption or any violent act you get arrested; that is the rule of law which we observe," he said.