Harare - A law that makes it a
jailable offence to criticise
Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe is "reasonable" and
must remain on the statute
books, Vice President
Emmerson Mnangagwa was
quoted as saying on
Thursday.
Section 96 of the Criminal
Code "seeks to guarantee the
right to dignity", Mnangagwa
said in legal papers quoted by
the official Herald newspaper.
Dozens of locals have been
arrested under the anti-insult
laws .
The Constitutional Court ruled
in 2014 that the laws should
be struck off the statute
books.
However, the ruling was
judged to only apply to
Zimbabwe's previous
constitution, which was
replaced at a referendum in
March 2013.
Police have continued to
arrest people for insulting
Mugabe.
In one recent case, a man
was arrested in December 2014
for "shouting unprintable
words" about the president at a
shopping centre in
Chikombedzi, southern
Zimbabwe.
A case was brought earlier
this year by several journalists
to have the laws declared
unconstitutional in terms of the
new constitution.
The Herald said that
Mnangagwa, who is also
Zimbabwe's justice minister,
argued that the law "foster[s]
responsible journalism" and
must remain on the statute
books.
Many Zimbabweans believe
Mnangagwa, who became vice
president in December, is now
firmly in line to succeed
Mugabe, although the president
hinted in February that it was
not necessarily the case.
Zimbabwean Twitter user @
tmn263 said on Thursday: "VP
Mnangagwa defends criminal
defamation.... if he becomes
prez we are doomed."