Harare - A Zimbabwean man has been jailed for three months for comparing a fellow bar-goer to President Robert Mugabe's anus, his lawyer said Monday.
Norman Mangena said his client Clemence Zikhali - a cement factory worker from the south west of the country - was convicted after being charged for behaviour likely to cause public disorder.
“He mentioned the president in jest while referring to a fellow patron in a bar. It was not a direct insult to the president,” Mangena told AFP.
Zikhali reportedly told his fellow patron “You are Mugabe's arsehole.”
The subject of the insult, a supporter of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party reported Zikhali to the police leading to his arrest, the lawyer said.
“He was not charged with insulting the president as has been reported by some sections of the media,” Mangena said.
Arrests for slandering Zimbabwe's long-time president and breaching the strict public order law are common.
Usually those found guilty receive light jail sentences, fines or are ordered to do community service. - Sapa-AFP