By A Correspondent| A Kadoma woman has been spared prosecution after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew charges of denigrating President Emmerson Mnangagwa while at a funeral, which had been preferred against her.

Rudorwashe Shumba, a 38 year-old resident of Kadoma in Mashonaland West province, had been scheduled to stand trial late last month at Kadoma Magistrates Court after she was arrested on 28 August 2023 and charged with assault as defined in section 89(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

In court, prosecutors alleged that Shumba unlawfully and intentionally assaulted 49 year-old Joram Bhavhenda, a ZANU PF party supporter, who is also a resident of Kadoma, on 15 August 2023 around 1: AM while attending a funeral and after accusing him and some other ruling party sympathisers of making it difficult for her to be free at the funeral.

Prosecutors claimed that while Bhavhenda reportedly kept quiet during the altercation, Shumba clapped him once on the face and accused him and other ZANU PF party supporters of being “President Mnangagwa’s dogs”.

During the incident, prosecutors said Bhavhenda did not sustain any visible injuries and did not seek any medical attention after the alleged assault.

But Shumba, who was represented by Unite Saizi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, is now a free person after the NPA dropped charges against her following a request by Bhavhenda, who has since made peace with the 38 year-old Kadoma resident, as they are neighbours.