Man jailed 1 year for insulting Mnangagwa

In what critics describe as a serious blow to freedom of expression and the right to criticise government, opposition politician Dr Gadzamoyo Dewa has been handed an effective one-year jail sentence for insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Dewa (58) was sentenced by the Bindura Magistrates Court on November 24, 2025, and is currently serving his sentence at Chawagona Prison in Bindura.

The former parliamentary candidate, who once contested First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa in the Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe constituency, is also the current president of the Zimbabwe People's Party (ZPP). He previously dragged former president Robert Mugabe to court during his political career.

According to the State, Dewa insulted President Mnangagwa while travelling on a public bus, allegedly referring to him in derogatory terms and accusing him of stealing public funds while citizens were suffering.

His lawyer, Ernest Jena, confirmed the conviction and sentence, saying an appeal against both conviction and sentence has been lodged with the High Court. Jena added that Dewa's application for bail pending appeal was dismissed by Magistrate Ruramai Chitumbura.

Dewa was convicted of undermining the authority of or insulting the President, as defined under Section 33(2)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23].

Court documents state that Dewa allegedly uttered the words while the bus was travelling through the Shashi Mountains area in Bindura. One of the passengers, Johannes Zezai (52), a miner from Mt Darwin, testified that he heard Dewa shout the remarks.

Zezai told the court that the comments angered some passengers, prompting him to intervene to prevent an assault.

"I tried to persuade the accused to stop his insults, but it was as if I had added petrol to a fire," Zezai testified.

"When we got to Mupfurudzi Toll-gate, I asked the driver to park the bus while I requested the police to arrest the accused."

Dewa was arrested on December 20, 2024, while travelling to Mt Darwin aboard a Bless It Up Motors bus to attend a funeral.

In his defence, Dewa denied insulting the President, arguing instead that he was expressing his intention to contest the presidency in 2028 and outlining his vision for political change. He told the court that he was a victim of political persecution.

"The truth is the defendant informed people who were standing near him that he wanted to be the next President in 2028; that the country needs new people and a new broom to cleanse the country of kleptocracy, cronyism and corruption," Dewa argued.

He further claimed that the complainant misunderstood the discussion and failed to comprehend the English language conversation taking place, leading to incorrect conclusions.

"It would appear the informant had gone asleep and woke up to hear people talking about a topic he did not fully understand," Dewa said, adding that no other witnesses who allegedly wanted to assault him testified in court.

Despite his defence, the court found Dewa guilty and imposed an effective custodial sentence, a development that has reignited debate over the continued use of laws criminalising insults against the President in Zimbabwe.