PROMINENT lawyer Kenias Shonhai was on Wednesday arrested after commenting against the manner in which police officers were arresting and bundling vendors into their truck.
The incident happened in Harare’s central business district.
Initially, police had indicated that they wanted to charge him with insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa, but settled for the undermining police authority charge.
“I can’t say what I really said on the day because it is part of my defence in court, but it is true that I was arrested and will appear in court soon,” he said.
The lawyer said he would appear in court on Tuesday.
In a statement posted on X, the Catholic Lawyers Guild Zimbabwe condemned Shonai’s arrest.
Last year, Shonhai filed a High Court application challenging the constitutionality of Zimbabwe’s Police Act saying it was discriminatory and inconsistent with the country’s Constitution.
Shonhai argued that the Act discriminates against husbands of police officers by denying them access to free healthcare services, yet the same privilege is extended to spouses of male officers.
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In terms of section 2 of the Police (Medical and Dental) Regulations, 1968, male spouses are not considered as dependants to enjoy free healthcare services at police facilities.
Shonhai, who is married to Constable Nyemudzai Shonhai, filed the application after he failed to benefit from the police’s health facility under the Act.
They were married in 2014.
