A 29-year-old street vendor from Harare has been granted bail after spending nearly two months behind bars over a dispute about the poor condition of public toilets at the Mbare bus terminus, which allegedly led to comments deemed insulting to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) confirmed on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, that the High Court ordered his release. The group said he had been in custody since early December 2025.
ZLHR said Anashe Mundandi was arrested on Dec. 1, 2025, at the Mbare bus terminus after a verbal confrontation with a City of Harare worker responsible for cleaning the facilities.
In a statement, ZLHR said it had “secured freedom for a vendor” who had remained in prison for more than two months after being arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers and charged with criminal nuisance following the altercation over the unsanitary toilets.
Prosecutors alleged that Mundandi confronted municipal employee Ody Chikombo, accusing him of neglecting his duties and suggesting others could perform the job better. They further claimed that during the exchange, Mundandi made remarks interpreted as insulting the president. In court, the State argued that he acted unlawfully in a way likely to disturb public comfort, convenience, peace or quiet.
The case has sparked debate over bail procedures and overcrowding in Zimbabwe’s prisons, with rights advocates pointing to the length of Mundandi’s detention before the High Court granted bail. The case is expected to continue in court.
